Qingdao Grand Prix 2015 - China

Today was the second day of competition at the Qingdao Guoxin Stadium (Diamond Hall) and four categories were engaged as the men’s -73kg, -81kg and women’s -63kg and -70kg judoka were in action.

After this second day of competition, the IJF Head Sports Director, Mr. Vladimir Barta, could already draw the lines of a positive appraisal: "We can definitely say that the level of the event is improving year after year. With seven editions, the Chinese Judo Association is getting more and more professional and all aspects of the organisation are concerned. I was pleased to see that the public came yesterday on the occasion of the first day and their reaction to the judo shows that they have started to have a really good knowledge of the sport. Of course it takes time to build a tradition but the Federation does a great job. It is also important to underline the performance of the men. China has been well-known for its great results with the women’s team. But tournament after tournament, we see that the men, step-by-step, are getting closer to the best ones. This is really very positive."

Neil Adams, the "voice of the IJF", as he is fondly called as the official TV commentator of all IJF events, but who is well-known for his impressive prize list as well (World champion and two-time Olympic silver medallist) said: "I must say that I am impressed by today’s athletes. When I was an athlete, I trained a lot and hard to be at the top level, but when I see how much efforts the athletes who are taking part in the World Judo Tour events, are putting to stay on the top, I am sincerely impressed. Nevertheless, we can also feel that the end of the year is approaching. We still have two competitions after Qingdao with Jeju and Tokyo. Some of the top competitors are a bit tired, which is logical, and new ones are coming and show their already impressive skills like Ivaylo IVANOV (BUL), who won in Abu Dhabi some weeks ago and was again present in the final block today. Judo is really an impressive sport." Coming from such a recognised champion, expert and IJF Hall of Famer, who still enjoys judo and is still astonished about what he sees throughout the sports season, this review means a lot.

WOMEN

-63kg: Golden YANG for the Host Country

If the top seeded athlete of the category, TSEDEVSUREN Munkhzaya (MGL), disappeared prematurely from the draw, it was because she was defeated at the first round by the Turkish Busra KATIPOGLU (TUR), bronze medallist in Tashkent this year, who later entered into the final, even though she was not among the favourites of the competition. In the final, she was opposed to her third Chinese contender of the day, as the world number 14 and second top seeded athlete, YANG Junxia (CHN), was her opponent. This third Chinese contender was too much for KATIPOGLU, who couldn’t escape from a beautiful piece of ground work by YANG, who concluded with an immobilisation for ippon.

Opposing Hannah MARTIN (USA) and Maricet ESPINOSA (CUB), the scenario for the first bronze medal fight of today’s final block was incredible. The first part of the bout was clearly for the Cuban who entered the last minute with a comfortable advantage of a yuko and a waza-ari. But a few seconds before the end, MARTIN decided to launch an attack for waza-ari, immediately followed with an immobilisation. She was about the win, but the Cuban escaped from her strong grip, the American scoring a yuko nonetheless. It was time for the golden score. MARTIN seemed to take the advantage, being more active and stronger on all her attacks, when eventually ESPINOSA launched a huge hip movement for yuko, giving her the victory.

The second bronze medal fight was easier to follow as BAK Miyun (KOR) who faced ZHANG Wen (CHN), largely dominated the combat, with a yuko, then a waza-ari scored with a tai-otoshi and finally a superb ippon on counterattack.

Final

KATIPOGLU, Busra (TUR) vs. YANG, Junxia (CHN)

Bronze Medal Fights

MARTIN, Hannah (USA) vs. ESPINOSA, Maricet (CUB)

BAK, Jiyun (KOR) vs. ZHANG, Wen (CHN)

Final Results

1. YANG, Junxia (CHN)

2. KATIPOGLU, Busra (TUR)

3. BAK, Jiyun (KOR)

3. ESPINOSA, Maricet (CUB)

5. MARTIN, Hannah (USA)

5. ZHANG, Wen (CHN)

7. BALDORJ, Mungunchimeg (MGL)

7. SHI, Cuijuan (CHN)

-70kg: EMANE Out, MATIC In

The ultimate favourite of the category was naturally the current world champion, Gevrise EMANE (FRA), but she fell in her first bout against Irina GAZIEVA (RUS). The Russian perfectly controlled the French fighter, who was penalised several times for stepping out of the fighting area, before being thrown for waza-ari with a sweeping movement. In the semi-final GAZIEVA was defeated by the winner of last year’s Qingdao Grand Prix, Iljana MARZOK (GER), who faced Barbara MATIC (CRO) for the top prize of the event. MATIC quickly scored a first waza-ari with seoi-nage and just before the halfway point of the fight, she doubled the score with a drop-seoi-nage, for waza-ari-awasette-ippon.

China put again an athlete in the final block with ZHOU Chao (CHN) fighting for bronze against KIM Seongyeon (KOR). The Korean scored the first yuko with an attack to counter the attack of her opponent. Despite one penalty on each side, the score did not change until the final gong, with Kim winning the bronze.

The second bronze medal fight saw the second top seeded competitor, Katarzyna KLYS (POL), and Irina GAZIEVA (RUS) stepping on tatami for a place on the podium. It can not be said that GAZIEVA did not try, but KLYS was too strong for her today, and harvested the scores with two yuko and two waza-ari, the first with a soto-makikomi almost perfect and the second one with a o-soto-gari.

Final

MARZOK, Iljana (GER) vs. MATIC, Barbara (CRO)

Bronze Medal Fights

ZHOU, Chao (CHN) vs. KIM, Seongyeon (KOR)

KLYS, Katarzyna (POL) vs. GAZIEVA, Irina (RUS)

Final Results

1. MATIC, Barbara (CRO)

2. MARZOK, Iljana (GER)

3. KIM, Seongyeon (KOR)

3. KLYS, Katarzyna (POL)

5. GAZIEVA, Irina (RUS)

5. ZHOU, Chao (CHN)

7. FLETCHER, Megan (GBR)

7. WILDIKAN, Lior (ISR)

MEN

-73kg: Pure Japanese Style from HASHIMOTO

With 37 competitors engaged, the -73kg weight category was again the second most numerous of the competition. World number one and winner of the Baku Grand Slam, this year, Rustam ORUJOV (AZE), could again enter the final of a major IJF event after having successively defeated Kiyoshi UEMATSU (ESP), SAI Yinjirigala (CHN), Dastan YKYBAYEV (KAZ) and the ‘veteran’ Dirk VAN TICHELT (BEL), whose best season was in 2013 when he won in Moscow (Grand Slam) and Miami (Grand Prix) just before taking a superb bronze medal at the World Championships. In the final the Azeri was opposed to HASHIMOTO Soichi (JPN), who was not present in the top eight athletes today in China. In a pure Japanese style, HASHIMOTO rapidly destroyed ORUJOV’s dream to win gold tonight in Qingdao. With an extraordinary tai-otoshi and with a touch of a standing-morote-seoi-nage, he propelled the Azeri into the air for a heavy landing on his back for ippon.

The first bronze medal fight opposed the two Uzbek competitors Mirali SHARIPOV and Giyosjon BOBOYEV. The epic struggle was clearly won by Mirali SHARIPOV, who counterattacked his opponent for ippon.

In the second bronze medal contest, the North Korean KIM Chol Gwang faced Dirk VAN TICHELT (BEL). The Belgium seemed to calmly control the fight and even if after two minutes and a half nothing was scored yet, he was obviously the strongest of the two. May be a little too much, when he launched a weak o-uchi-gari, which was immediately countered by KIM for ippon and a first medal on the IJF circuit for the North Korean.

Final

ORUJOV, Rustam (AZE) vs. HASHIMOTO, Soichi (JPN)

Bronze Medal Fight

SHARIPOV, Mirali (UZB) vs. BOBOYEV, Giyosjon (UZB)

KIM, Chol Gwang (PRK) vs. VAN TICHELT, Dirk (BEL)

Final Results

1. HASHIMOTO, Soichi (JPN)

2. ORUJOV, Rustam (AZE)

3. KIM, Chol Gwang (PRK)

3. SHARIPOV, Mirali (UZB)

5. BOBOYEV, Giyosjon (UZB)

5. VAN TICHELT, Dirk (BEL)

7. PARLATI, Enrico (ITA)

7. YKYBAYEV, Dastan (KAZ)

-81kg: Wang on his Way Back to the Top

The last final of the day opposed an old acquaintance of the international circuit, as former world number one, WANG KI-Chun, was able to make his way all the way through to the final of the most numerous category of the competition (44 athletes). To step on the top of the podium he still had to meet with MARUYAMA Goki (JPN), who showed spectacular judo throughout the day. After a few skirmishes, the first powerful attack came from WANG with an extraordinary tai-otoshi, from which MARUYAMA miraculously escaped for no score. But still the Korean had to run after the score as early during the contest, he was penalised with a shido. Both athletes offered an incredible show of attacks, although neither of them scored and it looked like the Japanese would win with a single shido. But WANG being more active, forced a penalty for his opponent at the very last second. Time for golden score. Finally it is WANG who wanted the victory more and with a super-low tai-otoshi scored a waza-ari. Is Wang on the way to the top?

The first bronze medal fight opposed the winner of the last Abu Dhabi Grand Slam, IVANOV, who created the surprise a few weeks ago and who once again, was present in the final block of a major competition. This time it was only to get the bronze, but he did not let the opportunity vanish to win an other international medal and scored a superb drop-seoi-nage against Ivan Felipe SILVA MORALES (CUB).

The second bronze medal was won by OTGONBAATAR Uuganbaatar (MGL) against Marcel OTT (AUT). If the Austrian rapidly took the lead with a yuko, he couldn’t avoid the seoi-nage technique of the Mongol and heavily landed on his back for ippon.

Final

WANG, Ki-Chun (KOR) vs. MARUYAMA, Goki (JPN)

Bronze Medal Fights

SILVA MORALES, Ivan Felipe (CUB) vs. IVANOV, Ivaylo (BUL)

OTT, Marcel (AUT) vs. OTGONBAATAR, Uuganbaatar (MGL)

Final Results

1. WANG, Ki-Chun (KOR)

2. MARUYAMA, Goki (JPN)

3. IVANOV, Ivaylo (BUL)

3. OTGONBAATAR, Uuganbaatar (MGL)

5. OTT, Marcel (AUT)

5. SILVA MORALES, Ivan Felipe (CUB)

7. IMAMOV, Yakhyo (UZB)

7. TOMA, Sergiu (UAE)

COMPETITION PROGRAMME

DAY3 - Sunday November 22

11:30 preliminaries on 3 tatami

17:00 final block on 1 tatami

Women: -78kg, +78kg

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

Location: Qingdao Guoxin Stadium (Diamond Hall) Address: Tong’an Road, Laoshan District, Qingdao

For more information, please contact:

IJF Media & Communications Department

Nicolas Messner, IJF Media Director

Mark Pickering, IJF Media Manager

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