Mashu Baker concludes the year with third Grand Slam victory

Only ranked sixth in the world and seeded in the fifth position Japanese Baker Mashu nevertheless qualified for the final of the category, were he was opposed to the 2013 world champion, the Cuban Asley Gonzalez, who is coming back to his top form at the end of this season, giving him good hopes for the Rio Olympic Games.

Escaping from the grip of his opponent, Gonzalez was penalised with a first shido after less than two minutes. Just before the last minute, it was the turn of Baker to be penalided for a false attack with a shido. But when the Cuban was penalised again, Baker took a small advantage that he could maintain until the final gong. This medal represents the third gold medal at a Grand Slam this season after Baku and Tyumen and his fourth Grand Slam gold medal in total (Tokyo 2013).

The first bronze medal contest opposed the 2015 Asian Championship silver medallist, Nishiyama Daiki (JPN) and the world number three Noel Van ‘t End (NED), second at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam a few weeks ago. Nishiyama was penalised with a first shido for false attack to which he responded with a o-uchi-gari for waza-ari. 40 seconds before the end of the fight, the Japanese concluded with an immobilisation for waza-ari-awasete-ippon, winning his seventh medal on the occasion of a Grand Slam.

Kirill Voprosov (RUS) and the current world champion Gwak Dong Han (KOR) were opposed in the second bronze medal contest of the men’s -90kg. Both athletes were penalised with a first shido for blocking each other and then Gwak launched the now famous trademark Korean drop seoi-nage for a clear ippon.