French take double gold at Grand Prix Jeju

French World champion Clarisse Agbegnenou was untouchable yet again on the IJF World Judo Tour as she dismissed Casablanca African Open silver medallist Isabel Puche of Spain to top the podium in Jeju.

Agbegnenou, 22, was competing for the first time since winning the world title in August and could be identified by her new red backpatch which is reserved only for world champions. Puche, whose one and only previous IJF World Judo Tour medal was a silver medal at the Rijeka Grand Prix 2013, was penalised with a shido for negative posture before Agbegnenou took the lead with a yuko and sealed her seventh gold medal of the year with a huge osoto-gari earning ippon.

In the first semi-final Agbegnenou swept past Glasgow European Open bronze medallist Nadja Bazynski (GER) with a yuko setting her on her way to victory by ippon. In the second semi-final Puche showed her grit by coming from behind to deny an all-French final as she beat 21-year-old French Championships silver medallist Lindsay Tsang Sam Moi (FRA). The French judoka was a waza-ari up but her Spanish foe kept positive and got her just rewards as she prevailed by ippon.

Olympic bronze medallist Gevrise Emane (FRA) was in sensational form as she emphatically worked her way through the quality field to earn -70kg gold. Emane defeated Abu Dhabi Grand Slam winner Laura Vargas Koch (GER) in the final having spent just 94 seconds on the mat in total in her previous three contests. Emane and Vargas Koch failed to unlock their respective defences as the latter lost out by one shido which she received for passivity in the final minute.