Charline Van Snick wins eighth Grand Prix gold

Belgian Charline Van Snick won her eighth Grand Prix gold medal with a clinical performance against former Zagreb Grand Prix winner Eleudis Valentim (BRA). The Belgian pounced on an opportunity to employ her well-drilled shime-waza and defeated Valentim by submission from a koshi-jime strangle.

London 2012 Olympic bronze medallist Van Snick has now medalled at five consecutive competitions and looks on course for an Olympic challenge in 2020 while Valentim grasped her first opportunity since -52kg colleague and five-time world medallist Erika Miranda (BRA) announced her retirement.

In the first semi-final Van Snick, who armlocked Olympic silver medallist and Abu Dhabi Grand Slam winner Odette Giuffrida (ITA) in the quarter-final, prevailed against former Tashkent Grand Prix winner Betina Temelkova (ISR) who received a direct hansoku-make in golden score for slamming her opponent after the two were tangled in the air. 

In the second semi-final Paris Grand Slam bronze medallist Astride Gneto (FRA) was penalised for a third time in golden score for passivity and was disqualified which sent Valentim into the final.

The first bronze medal was awarded to Gneto who saw off Giuffrida after five minutes and fifteen seconds of golden score. The French judoka won her first Grand Prix medal by throwing with an o-soto-gari for a waza-ari.

The second bronze medal was won by Antalya Grand Prix bronze medallist Pupp Reka (HUN) as Temelkova, who was so well in shape during the day, had been disqualified earlier in the competition after a direct hansoku-make.