Majlinda Kelmendi and Masashi Ebinuma prolong world title

At the second day of the World Championships, we noted the first current title holders who succeeded to defend their honours. Masashi Ebinuma (JPN) won his third World title in a row U66kg while Majlinda Kelmendi prolonged her second medal of the World Championships. Was it for Kosovo or for the IJF, because this year at the she had IJF at her backnumber and the IOC anthem was played at the ceremony.

It always attractive to watch triple World Champ Ebinuma who won the final against Mikhail Pulyaev, another male Russian who was defeated in final in front of the Russian spectators. In less than two minutes Ebinuma succeeded to score an ippon, beautifully started Koshi-Guruma and transition into uchi-mata. No way Pulyaev could have hold that pressure, and another winner of the Japanese-Russian clash, although Pulyaev was able to stop the ambitions of Kengo Takaichi. Ebinuma was World Champion in Paris 2011, Rio de Janeiro 2013 and now in Chelyabinsk. He is now mingling among the big names of Japanese judo such as Kosei Inoue, Keiji Suzuki and the bog names from the past, although most of them were heavyweights.

Georgii Zantaraia won again a welcome bronze medal against Ebinuma's teammate Takaichi. The Japanese youngster picked up penalties against Ukrainian star Zantaraia who could also prolong his success of Rio in the category U66kg.

The second bronze was won by Kamal Khan-Magomedov, them man who previously HAD to lose his match at the Grand Slam of Tyumen and now seemed to have a simular situation in the quarter final against Pulyaev. But Kamal had his day and European Champion Loic Korval didn't find a solution to stop Khan-Magomedov's moves. In the end Korval lost with one penalty and a yuko on the Russian's scoreboard.

Majlinda Kelmendi has a bright future. The current and still reigning World title holder fought against Andreea Chitu in the final match. An attractive but smooth Koshi-guruma brought the first waza-ari to Kelmendi, not too long after another same attack awarded on the scoreboard for a yuko. The Romanian fighter who had an excellent day was satisfied with silver, her best effort so far at the World Championships, and she finished in the top five for the third timein a row. However she just couldn't find the solution to win the gold at this year's World final U52kg. 

Erika Miranda, last year's silver medalist was stopped by Andreea Chitu in the semi-final, but Miranda was able to win the first medal for Brazil in Chelyabinsk against Bermoy Acosta of Cuba. 

The team of Russia added another bronze to the medal tally, Natalia Kuzyutina won the bronze medal match against Ma of China.