First Grand Slam crown for Maryna Slutskaya

Budapest Grand Prix silver medallist Maryna Slutskaya (BLR) was the last woman standing in the +78kg category as Belarus topped the medal podium. Two-time Grand Slam bronze medallist Slutskaya registered in the gold medal column for the first time at a showpiece IJF Grand Slam with a comprehensive triumph over Tbilisi Grand Prix bronze medallist Anne Fatoumata M Bairo (FRA).

Slutskaya left no doubt about it as she won by ippon and will now improve on her ranking of eighth place in the world.

In the first semi-final Antalya Grand Prix bronze medallist Galyna Tarasova (UKR) fell to M Bairo by a waza-ari score to guarantee the French delegation a medal on day three. In the second semi-final Slutskaya defeated Asian Games bronze medallist Wang Yan (CHN) by a waza-ari score after 29 seconds of golden score.

The first bronze medal was awarded to number one seed Iryna Kindzerska (AZE) who salvaged a place on the podium with a win over Wang. Azeri judoka Kindzerska claimed her sixth Grand Slam medal by a waza-ari score which was the only time the scoreboard was called upon in a slow paced contest.           

The second bronze medal was won by Ekaterinburg Grand Slam bronze medallist Carolin Weiss (GER) who held down Tarasova with osaekomi-waza for 20 seconds and ippon in the closing seconds of the contest. Weiss picked up her fifth Grand Slam medal by toppling her Ukrainian opponent who had nothing left to offer in her last contest in Abu Dhabi.