Hungry Abigel Joo climbs back to the top

Abigel Joo was one of the super athletes at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, in the final phase the injured her knee and finished fifth, but the skills and grace of Joo were on the map since then. Four years later she seems to mingle among the best. The four years in between have given her an insight in herself, coming back from the injury, a mental dip and now crawling back to the world top.

Abigel Joo captured the gold at the Grand Prix in Havana and she stunned reigning Olympic champion, Kayla Harrison at first big surprise of the day. Joo set her trap with the right timing. This victory of the Hungarian sounds like a little revenge on Harrison. Joo was largely leading her contest (waza-ari) against Harrison when she injured her knee, thus allowing the American to regain the advantage and win the title while Joo failed at the bottom of the podium. Today, working seriously throughout the fight, the Hungarian won her bout with the smallest difference possible (one penalty), but this was enough to enter the final where she met the solid Luise Malzahn of Germany.

The German right hander against a left-hander Hungarian, always ends up with complicated situation where the key is to catch the opponent’s sleeve. That is exactly what the two athletes tried to do for most of the final. After a tricky situation which could have ended with a throw from any side, Joo engaged her homemade uchi-mata but was smart enough to leave her foot hooked. When Malzahn tried to counterattack, she was simply thrown on her back for a perfect ippon and a great victory for the Hungarian.

Joo reacted: "In the past I set my mind on winning medals. But now I focus more on performing to the best of my ability. There is less pressure this way and I find that the results come with less stress.”

The first bronze medal fight of the women’s U78kg opposed silver medallist of the 2014 Baku Grand Slam, Assunta Galeone (ITA) and the silver medallist of the 2015 World Judo Masters in Morocco, Natalie Powell (GBR). Galeone did not offer a small chance to Powell and having scored a yuko immobilized her for ippon.

Having been defeated in the semi-final, Kayla Harrison still had one chance to step on the podium as she faced Yalennis Castillo, but being in front of her public, the Cuban had an extra-motivation. Harrison who expected a different issue for this competition, stepped on the tatami very motivated thoughout and was close to winning with an armlock before the half of the fight. But Castillo escaped. Much less active than her glorious opponent, the Cuban was penalised with a shido. During the fight, as a beautiful symbol of what sport and judo can generate, a Cuban and an American flag were waved side-by-side in the stands and at the end of the fight, which was finally won by the Olympic Champion, both athletes warmly congratulated one another. As Kayla Harrison stepped out of the tatami, she immediately declared that she will offer her prize money to Castillo: “She needs it more than I do. She was a fantastic contender. She definitely deserves it. She has a child and I am sure that it will help her.“

Joo booked her first major victory since July 2013, In Moscow. The double European champion (in the previous Olympic cycle) seems to be ready for the Olympic Games. Joo was the only Hungarian who captured a gold medal after four lost finals on the medal table.