Olympic medallist Otgontsetseg Galbadrakh delivers with gold in Abu Dhabi

Olympic bronze medallist Otgontsetseg Galbadrakh performed well again and won her second gold medal at Grand Slam level, it makes her the best Kazakh judoka ever at this Grand Slam level.

In the final U48kg she defeated Milica Nikolic of Serbia within a minute with a score close to ippon, but awarded optimal for the tiny Kazakh. 2013 World Champion Munkhbat Urantsetseg took the bronze after she lost to Milica in the semi final. Brazilian Nathalia Brigida defeated Julia Figueroa of Spain for bronze and won her second Grand Slam medal in her career and the first for the big Brazilian team.

Brazil thought it would win gold U60 as Eric Takabatake showed a great form the whole day. However in the final against Fran Garrigos he got caught and the Spaniard snatched the gold, his first in the IJF World Tour. Frenchman Cedric Revol had a successful seoi nage against Mshvidobadze for bronze and Russian Albert Oguzov showed his great ne-waza skills and defeated Mehman Sadigov (AZE).

One minute for the end in the final U52kg Astride Gneto struck with a huge throw, with Angelica Delgado (USA) on her back in a second. For the 2015 Junior Champion this was her biggest international success. Kelly Edwards of Great Britain won her fifth medal in a period of two months, an impressive list. Edwards was more convincing in the golden score than her opponent Tihea Topolovec (CRO). Jessica Perreira of Brazil won bronze as she succeeded to force a submission by Karolina Pienkowska with an armlock.

An early reverse yoko otoshi looking like an innovative ura nage for Russian judoka Yakub Shamilov made the difference in the final U66kg beteween Shamilov and Azamat Mukanov (KAZ). Shamilov kept dangerous waiting another opportunity in the final but didn’t take the risk and won his third Grand Slam medal. Two times bronze at the Grand Slam in Tyumen and now gold in Abu Dhabi.

Russian Arsen Galstyan had a few attempts for a tomo nage but in the end it was good enough to defeat Portuguese Sergiu Oleinic in the bronze medal match. Charles Chibana of Brazil defeated Andraz Jereb of Slovenia in the second bronze medal match 47 seconds for the end of the match.

Helene Receveaux started offensive against Theresa Stoll in the final U57kg and within 51 seconds Receveaux made Stoll tab for a shime waza. The French won her first Grand Slam and has now won European Open, Grand Prix and Grand Slam events. It brought France to the top of the medal table as only country winning two gold medals at the first day.

Johanna Mueller caught Manon Durbach (LUX) with a strangle in 30 seconds in her bronze medal bout. Jovana Rogic, another successful Serbian had to fight Lola Benarroche of France who had won the European Open in Rome this year, the Euro Open in Madrid and the Grand Prix in Zagreb. In their first encounter it was the French who took this medal as well, but she needed the full four minutes and golden score who benefit from a missed throw by Rogic.