Mungunchimeg Baldorj dominates U63kg division in Tashkent

With her best result in 2018 being a seventh place at the Paris Grand Slam, Baldorj Mungunchimeg (MGL) today achieved her best performance of the season. In the final of the Grand Slam in Tashkent she was opposed to another outsider Maria Centracchio (ITA), who finished with bronze at the Glasgow European Open 2018.

After a little more than one minute, Baldorj who seems to be really confident, launched a combination eri-seoi-nage/o-soto-gari for a clear ippon that did not leave any chance to Centracchio to escape. The first bronze medal contest saw the winner of last year Tashkent Grand Prix, Kathrin Unterwurzacher (AUT) and Kathrin Davydova (RUS) opposed to a place on the podium. The first to attack was Unterwurzacher with a spectacular yoko-sutemi-waza technique but for no score. Davydova could be on her guard. Being less active than her opponent, the Russian was penalized with a first shido and avoided a second penalty with an attack that came at the right time but for no score. With a handful of seconds left on the scoreboard, Unterwurzacher was close to being caught on the floor after a sumi-gaeshi that was lacking control, but she could keep Davydova's leg to wait until the end of regular time. In the golden score, the Russian had no other choice than attacking, which she did with a ko-uchi-gari, which was countered by the Austrian with a ko-uchi of her own to win the bronze.

In the second bronze medal contest Cristina Cabana Perez (ESP) faced top seed athlete of the day Andreja Leski (SLO), who was not able to reproduce her Abu Dhabi performance where she reached the final of the Grand Slam, two weeks ago. After thirty seconds, Leski was the first in action with a uchi-mata for wasa-ari. Cabana Perez was then penalized for passivity. Just before entering the last minute, the Spaniard was penalized again for being too passive. It is not the last shoulder movement attempt from Cabana Perez which changed the final result and Andreja Leski could win her sixth medal at a Grand Prix and the third of the Slovenian delegation.