Daria Bilodid wins first IJF World Judo Tour event

Ukrainian wonder kid Daria Bilodid struck IJF World Judo Tour gold for the first time on Friday as the precocious 17-year-old put the entire weight category on notice. The renowned teenager took bronze at the Hohhot Grand Prix in June before going to her first senior World Championships in August where she lost to Otgontsetseg Galbadrakh (KAZ) in the third round.

That defeat meant that Bilodid left an international competition without a medal for the first time in her life. Today marked a new chapter for the young Ukrainian and for the -48kg category as Bilodid defeated world and Olympic bronze medallist Galbadrakh to win gold after an absorbing first gold medal contest at The Hague Grand Prix. Pocket-sized Galbadrakh never stopped moving against the long-limbed youngster from Ukraine but neither judoka could create any openings in regular time. When it looked like the Ukrainian was fading, after narrowly escaping a shido for a push out, she caught the Kazakh world number two with a ko-uchi-gari for a waza-ari score after four minutes and 31 seconds of golden score.

In the first semi-final Galbadrakh beat world number 70 Anastasia Pavlenko (RUS) to go through to the final. The Kazakh star scored a waza-ari from a sumi-gaeshi and then wrapped up her opponent in osaekomi to wrap up a comfortable victory.

In the second semi-final five-time African Championships winner Taciana Cesar (GBS) was beaten in golden score by Bilodid. Veteran Cesar, 33, was penalised in added time with her third shido for passivity to send her teenage opponent into the final.  

The first bronze medal contest was won by Cesar who defeated former Apia Open winner Kimberley Renicks (GBR) with her trademark ouchi-gari. Scottish judoka Renicks, who is part of a large British contingent in The Hague from Camberley Judo Club, was making her 15th attempt to win a Grand Prix medal but narrowly missed out in golden score. African star Cesar showed her lethal ashi-waza as she launched for a stinging ouchi-gari which earned a waza-ari score after 59 seconds of added time.

The second bronze medal was won by Prague European Open bronze medallist Katharina Menz (GER) who bested Pavlenko. Menz was fighting for Grand Prix honours for the first time in her career and was triumphant after registering two scores without reply. A uchi-mata after 30 seconds gave the German the lead and a second was added in the final minute as Pavlenko failed to impose herself in the contest.

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