Iakiv Khammo continues successful campaign to Rio

Current world bronze medallist Iakiv Khammo of the Ukraine has become one of the leading judoka in the heavyweight category at the age of 21 as he Ukrainian won his second Grand Prix gold medal with a riveting performance. World number 10 Khammo was penalised along with his opponent after 48 seconds for passivity before the youngster exploded into action as he launched a lightning quick left-sided osoto-gari which sent former world bronze medallist Islam El Shehaby of Egypt flying to the tatami for ippon.

Khammo is an absolute diamond for the Ukraine giving new Olympic medal hope with Zantaraia and perhaps Cherniak in the women's lighweight category and Iaromka in the heavyweight category. Slowly the Ukrainian team unveils its strentghs.

In the first semi-final Havana Grand Prix bronze medallist Alex Garcia Mendoza (CUB) lost out to El Shehaby who bundled over the Cuban judoka for a waza-ari which was the only score in their entertaining offering. In the second semi-final former world bronze medallist Kim Sung-Min (KOR) was impressively beaten by Khammo. The Ukrainian attacked with a uchi-mata which had Kim concerned but able to regain his balance before the former followed up with a sumi-gaeshi with only one hand on his opponent and shifted into osaekomi for 15 seconds and a guaranteed medal.

The first bronze medal went to Kim who held down Jeju Grand Prix bronze medallist Andrey Volkov (RUS) with a kuzure-yoko-shiho-gatame for 20 seconds. The second bronze medal went to Havana Grand Prix silver medallist Bor Barna (HUN) who bested Garcia Mendoza by a waza-ari from countering a harai-makikomi attempt which was the only score registered after five minutes of judo.