Judo Grand Prix, Tashkent 2014

The Judo Grand Prix, Tashkent 2014, continued with the focus on the middleweights on Friday as the home fans packed out the "UZBEKISTAN" sport complex on day two. Uzbek’s judo enthusiasts saw four weight categories take to the tatami in search of Grand Prix honours as the women’s -63kg and -70kg categories and men’s -73kg and -81kg categories were contested.

Daniel Lascau, the IJF Head Sports Director said: "We saw many ippons today and we noticed that for many combats the decision was made within the last minute. It shows that the athletes are concentrating until the very last seconds. Today the women’s categories were dominated by the European countries, when in the men’s divisions, the Asian nations took the lead, Roman MOUSTOPOULOS (GRE), being the only non-Asian fighter who was present in the finals. Mongolia was very impressive for this second day of competition with athletes who are used to collect medals at the international level. Generally speaking three out of four medallists are standing within the top 8 in the world. It shows how important the World Ranking List is."

Jan Snijders, the IJF Head Refereeing Director said: "On Thursday we had already really good judo, especially with athletes such as Rishod Sobirov, but I can say that today was even better and when the judo gets better, the refereeing level also improves. We are very satisfied with the group of referees that we have brought to Tashkent."

Dr. Lisa Allan, the IJF Competition Manager underlined the quality of the audience: "This second day of competition was a real success. We are all very impressed by the quality of the public. The stadium is fully packed from the morning on with a very knowledgeable audience, which is of course cheering for the Uzbek athletes but not only for the home judoka. Everybody is showing fair play."

Sunday will be the last competition day in Tashkent. The heavyweight categories will be in action: women’s -78kg and +78kg, and men’s -90kg, -100kg and +100kg.

WOMEN

-63kg: Unstoppable Gerbi (ISR)

Who can stop Yarden GERBI (ISR), who, since her silver medal last August in Russia on the occasion of the World Judo Championships, seems unbeatable? That was the question at the beginning of the day. It won’t be Kathrin UNTERWURZACHER (AUT), who was strangled by the GERBI, who added a second victory in a major IJF event with a week.

The Israeli champion said: "I really feel happy tonight. It was my goal to come in Astana and Tashkent and to win both gold medals. I’ve done it. This is really good. I won’t rest now. We have Japanese coach coming to Israel for a training camp. Hanna Martin from the US is also coming to my country next week. It’s good to have new training partners. And then I know that I’ll participate in two of this end of the year’s events in Asia, but I am not exactly sure which one from Abu Dhabi, Qingdao, Jeju or Tokyo."

The first bronze medal fight opposed Mariana SILVA (BRA) and Martyna TRAJDOS (GER), who was the first to score with a ko-uchi-gari for waza-ari really close to ippon, followed by another yuko a few seconds later. Martyna TRAJDOS was able to maintain the score until the end of the fight to win the bronze. The second bronze medal fight saw Munkhzaya TSEDEVSUREN (MGL) and Isabel PUCHE (ESP) fight for a place on the podium of the Grand Prix. After one minute, Isabel PUCHE was the first to score a yuko. Then the fight entered into a more tactical phase until TSEDEVSUREN also scored a yuko 30 seconds before the end. Penalties having been distributed to both fighters, it was finally the Mongolian who won the medal with one less penalty than the Spanish judoka on the scoreboard.

Final

GERBI, Yarden (ISR) vs. UNTERWURZACHER, Kathrin (AUT)

Bronze Medal Fights

SILVA, Mariana (BRA) vs. TRAJDOS, Martyna (GER)

TSEDEVSUREN, Munkhzaya (MGL) vs. PUCHE, Isabel (ESP)

Final Results

1. GERBI, Yarden (ISR)

2. UNTERWURZACHER, Kathrin (AUT)

3. TRAJDOS, Martyna (GER)

3. TSEDEVSUREN, Munkhzaya (MGL)

5. PUCHE, Isabel (ESP)

5. SILVA, Mariana (BRA)

7. GWEND, Edwige (ITA)

7. SHOR, Rotem (ISR)

-70kg: Vargas Koch Tops the Medal Podium

For the second time of the day, an Austrian athlete entered the final. Thus Bernadette GRAF was opposed to Laura VARGAS KOCH (GER). But this was not a golden day for Austria, as Bernadette GRAF was defeated by the German after Laura VARGAS KOCH engaged an o-uchi-gari that was turned into a uchi-mata for waza-ari just before the end of the final.

Vargas Koch declared: "I wouldn't say that it was my best competition day, but I was really concentrated and I took round after round to enter the final. Then in the final, I felt really good and confident. Everything went well and of course I am super happy with this victory on the international circuit."

The first bronze medal of the women’s -70kg was secured by Katarzyna KLYS (POL) against Nadia MERLI (BRA) with a single shido scored during the regular time. Lior WILDIKAN (ISR) and Maria PORTELA (BRA) were opposed for the second bronze medal of the category. A few seconds before the end of the bout, it seemed that both athletes would have to enter the golden score to decide the winner, when finally Maria PORTELA could immobilize her opponent with a tateshio-gatame for 20 seconds for ippon.

Final

VARGAS KOCH, Laura (GER) vs. GRAF, Bernadette (AUT)

Bronze Medal Fights

MERLI, Nadia (BRA) vs. KLYS, Katarzyna (POL)

WILDIKAN, Lior (ISR) vs. PORTELA, Maria (BRA)

Final Results

1. VARGAS KOCH, Laura (GER)

2. GRAF, Bernadette (AUT)

3. KLYS, Katarzyna (POL)

3. PORTELA, Maria (BRA)

5. MERLI, Nadia (BRA)

5. WILDIKAN, Lior (ISR)

7. BERNABEU, Maria (ESP)

7. PROKOPENKO, Alena (RUS)

MEN

-73kg: 100% Mongolia

The final of the day opposed the two Mongolian teammates Nyam-Ochir SAINJARGAL (MGL), bronze medallist at the Olympic Games and Tsagaanbaatar KHASHBAATAR (MGL), 2009 world champion. The two fighters gave no chance to any of their opponents today but they could only make the difference based on the number of penalties that were distributed during the final. The gold medal finally went to Nyam-Ochir SAINJARGAL.

The first bronze medal was disputed between Pierre DUPRAT (FRA), winner of the Astana Grand Prix, last week and Denis IARTCEV (RUS), gold medallist on the occasion of the Tyumen Grand Slam, last summer. After only a few seconds, IARTCEV seemed to be able to quickly win on the ground with a strong immobilisation from which the French could finally escape. Both fighters then looked capable of scoring but DUPRAT was the most opportunistic as he caught IARTCEV’s foot for a superb sweep movement (de-ashi-barai) for ippon and a second medal at the international level for DUPRAT within one week. The sound level within the arena went one step higher for the second bronze medal fight as local fighter Giyosjon BOBOYEV was opposed to Russian, Zelimkhan OZDOEV. But despite the hurrahs coming from the stands, BOBOYEV was not able to overcome the power and agility of OZDOEV who won by yuko scored during a attack-counter-attack situation.

Final

SAINJARGAL, Nyam-Ochir (MGL) vs. KHASHBAATAR, Tsagaanbaatar (MGL)

Bronze Medal Fights

DUPRAT, Pierre (FRA) vs. IARTCEV, Denis (RUS)

BOBOYEV, Giyosjon (UZB) vs. OZDOEV, Zelimkhan (RUS)

Final Results

1. SAINJARGAL, Nyam-Ochir (MGL)

2. KHASHBAATAR, Tsagaanbaatar (MGL)

3. DUPRAT, Pierre (FRA)

3. OZDOEV, Zelimkhan (RUS)

5. BOBOYEV, Giyosjon (UZB)

5. IARTCEV, Denis (RUS)

7. MUKI, Sagi (ISR)

7. SHOKA, Vadzim (BLR)

-81kg: Incredible Scenario and Gold for MOUSTOPOULOS (GRE)

For the last final of day, the fantastic public of the "UZBEKISTAN" sport complex had a good reason to cheer for their local athlete, Yakhyo IMAMOV who was opposed to Roman MOUSTOPOULOS (GRE). If the scenario was not the one expected by the audience, it was an incredible turn of events. MOUSTOPOULOS scored the first waza-ari, imitated shortly later by IMAMOV with a superb sasae-tsuri-comi-ashi, but Uzbek athlete was probably not attentive enough and the Greek immediately took the opportunity to immobilize him for ippon and for gold.

Once again the sound level raised in the venue, when Shaxzod SOBIROV (UZB) entered the field of play against Carlos LUZ (POR) for the first bronze medal fight of the men’s -81kg category. After lest than a minute of kumikata (gripping) fight, Shaxzod SOBIROV engaged a left handed tai-otoshi movement for a superb ippon. The public literally exploded with joy, while SOBIROV raised his arms in victory. The second bronze medal fight opposed Ivan VOROBEV (RUS) and Uuganbaatar OTGONBAATAR (MGL). After 1 minute and thirty seconds, VOROBEV was menalized a first time for passivity, giving a very little advantage to the Mongolian. On minute later, at the limit of the fighting area, OTGONBAATAR applied an irresistible action/reaction technic (tani-otoshi) for ippon.

Final

IMAMOV, Yakhyo (UZB) vs. MOUSTOPOULOS, Roman (GRE)

Bronze Medal Fights

SOBIROV, Shaxzod (UZB) vs. LUZ, Carlos (POR)

VOROBEV, Ivan (RUS) vs. OTGONBAATAR, Uuganbaatar (MGL)

Final Results

1. MOUSTOPOULOS, Roman (GRE)

2. IMAMOV, Yakhyo (UZB)

3. OTGONBAATAR, Uuganbaatar (MGL)

3. SOBIROV, Shaxzod (UZB)

5. LUZ, Carlos (POR)

5. VOROBEV, Ivan (RUS)

7. ABDELAAL, Mohamed (EGY)

7. KRIZSAN, Szabolcs (HUN)

COMPETITION PROGRAMME

Saturday

10:00 Preliminaries on three mats

17:00 Final block on one mat

Women: -78kg, +78kg

Men: -90kg, -100kg, +100kg

Location: Uzbekistan Sport Complex, Tashkent, Yunus-Abad District

20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is www.aroundtherings.com, for subscribers only