Second post Olympic victory for Abigel Joo

Hungarian Joo Abigel is working on her World Ranking position. The number seven of the Olympic Games and Zagreb Grand Prix winner added another victory at the Grand Prix in Tashkent.

Joo came from behind in the U78kg final to defeat Almaty Grand Prix silver medallist Albina Amangeldiyeva (KAZ). Joo was one of the strongest and highest profile judoka in Tashkent but surprisingly fell behind to world number 39 Amangeldiyeva. The Kazakh fighter led with a yuko from a tani-otoshi before Joo scored a waza-ari with an uchi-mata and remained in front for the remainder of the contest to win back-to-back Grand Prix. Hungary’s only judoka gave their country an 100% record as their only representative in Uzbekistan.

In the first semi-final two-time Olympian Joo Abigel (HUN) defeated world number 76 Zarina Raifova (KAZ) after just 15 seconds by ippon from an uchi-mata. In the second semi-final Amangeldiyeva bested 21-year-old Kumush Yuldashova (UZB) by a yuko in a tight contest.

The first bronze medal was won by Yuldashova who saw off 18-year-old Junior Asian Championships silver medallist Nodira Yuldasheva (UZB). Yuldashova scored a yuko from a determined sacrifice throw and added a waza-ari from a kesa-gatame to beat the clock and capture a place on the podium. The second bronze medal contest was won by Raifova who dispatched 17-year-old cadet Dilnoza Kamolova (UZB). Uzbekistan’s Kamolova, who was one of the youngest judoka in the competition, was caught with an osoto-gari for a yuko and was trapped in a modified sankaku-gatame hold for 20 seconds and for ippon.