Tsukasa Yoshida grabs gold after 11 minute thriller final

Japanese Yoshida Tsukasa retained her Tokyo Grand Slam title with a win against former world champion Udaka Nae to capture her fifth Grand Slam gold medal after a lung-busting 11 minute final. Yoshida, who is still only 21, opposed 2014 world champion Udaka, who was followed a year later by 2012 Olympic champion Matsumoto Kaori (JPN). After six energy-sapping yet engrossing minutes of added time Udaka was penalised for passivity as the younger fighter struck home hold one more time.

In the first semi-final Rio 2016 Olympic silver medallist Dorjsuren Sumiya of Mongolia was beaten by Yoshida who registered a full house of scores. The home fighter scored a waza-ari with a osoto-gari before topping up the scoreboard with a yuko and then put the Mongolian top seed out of her misery by submitting her with a juji-gatame. In the second semi-final Budapest Grand Prix winner Tamaoki Momo (JPN) succumbed to the animated Udaka who roared with victory as after throwing her compatriot by ippon with a tai-otoshi.

The first bronze medal was won by Tamaoki over Ulaanbaatar Grand Prix silver medallist Ishikawa Megumi (JPN). Ne-waza master Ishikawa wanted to take the contest to the ground at every opportunity but Tamaoki was not playing that game and established her own rhythm a she won a crucial medal to keep her name in the domestic discussion at -57kg. After two minutes of golden score Ishikawa was guilty of being passive and was promptly penalised to send her colleague onto the medal podium. The second bronze medal was won by Dorjsuren who extended her one-sided head-to-head lead over Abu Dhabi Grand Slam winner Helene Receveaux (FRA) to 6:1. Dorjsuren looked a spent force in the last 60 seconds but had the resolve to protect her slender yuko advantage and see out the closing stage of the four minute contest.