Peter Paltchik on steam at Tbilisi Grand Prix

Peter Paltchik of Israel reached the highest step on a Grand Prix podium for the second time in his career with a fine win over debuting Russian opponent Mirab Margiev in Tbilisi.

Abu Dhabi Grand Slam bronze medallist Paltchik, 26, had too much experience for Merab Margiev, 26, who was gracing the IJF stage for the first time, and had started as a rank outsider. Israel’s first gold medal in Tbilisi came 95 seconds into the final when Paltchik was at full stretch for an osoto-gari to win by ippon.

In the first semi-final Agadir Grand Prix silver medallist Jorge Fonseca (POR) was surprisingly overpowered on the ground by Margiev who held down the feared Portuguese for 20 seconds and ippon. In the second semi-final world number 120 Iasoni Nemsadze (GEO) fell to defeat at the hands of Paltchik who dropped under his opponent in the first 30 seconds to throw for ippon and a place in the -100kg final.

The first bronze medal was won by former Cadet World Championships bronze medallist Onise Saneblidze (GEO) as nemsadze could not compete due to an injury.

The second bronze medal went to Fonseca as the number one seed threw world number 10 Benjamin Fletcher (IRL) twice and scored a waza-ari each time. Portuguese powerhouse Fonseca twice dropped under the Irish judoka to power onto the podium and secure his third IJF medal in 2018.