Golden Masako Doi one of four Japanese medals

Japanese middleweight Doi Masako topped the podium for Japan ahead of Asian Games winner Nabekura Nami (JPN). First-time Grand Slam finalist Doi won bronze last week in The Hague and defeated 2017 Japan Grand Slam silver medallist Nabekura in golden score after the latter was penalised for the third and final time for passivity.

World number 72 Doi will skyrocket up the IJF World Ranking List and her win will shake up the selections for next year for the hosts.

In the first semi-final Olympic champion Tina Trstenjak (SLO) was dispatched by Doi by ippon from a kami-shiho-gatame hold down in golden score. In the second semi-final Budapest Grand Prix winner Nouchi Aimi (JPN) was penalised for the third time for going out of the area against Nabekura Nami (JPN) and was disqualified.

The first bronze medal contest was won by Nouchi who submitted Ekaterinburg Grand Slam bronze medallist Edwige Gwend (ITA) with shime-waza. Nouchi led by a waza-ari score from ashi-waza and wrapped up the contest for her third Grand Slam medal by subduing her opponent on the ground.                                                            

The second bronze medal was won by world silver medallist Tashiro Miku (JPN) who extended her head-to-head series against Trstenjak to 7-0. Tashiro won her seventh Grand Slam medal by throwing for a waza-ari after five minutes and 21 seconds of golden score.