Ketleyn Quadros wins elusive Grand Slam title at the 28th attempt

Brazilian veteran Ketleyn Quadros produced a vintage display to achieve a career first 11 years after the finest moment of her career at the Grand Slam in Brasilia. She needed 28 Grand Slams to win her first gold medal.

Montreal Grand Prix bronze medallist Alexia Castilhos (BRA) struggled to get to grips with the local judoka who shook her compatriot with ashi-waza in an imposing start. Beijing 2008 Olympic bronze medallist Quadros utilised her sutemi-waza on the edge of the area to clinch gold by the maximum score as the race to be Brazil’s pick for Tokyo 2020 looks like it will go the distance until the Masters in 2020.

In the first semi-final Castilhos outperformed Rio 2016 Olympian Mariana Silva (BRA) by a waza-ari score in an exciting all-Brazilian clash that had the teeming crowd out of their seats for all four minutes.

In the second semi-final veteran Quadros beat former World Judo Masters bronze medallist Yang Junxia (CHN) by a waza-ari score to move into the final as Brazil dominated the U63kg category.

The first bronze medal contest was won by Budapest Grand Prix bronze medallist Maylin Del Toro Carvajal (CUB) after Yang was dismissed after 22 seconds of golden score. Yang was penalised for leg grabbing which was her third infringement to gift a place on the medal podium to the Cuban in the first contest of the final block on day two.

The second bronze medal was won by Montreal Grand Prix silver medallist Amy Livesey (GBR) who sent Silva skyrocketing through the air with a gigantic ura-nage for ippon. SKK Judo Club product Livesey showed her power to beat the returning home judoka who had to settle for an encouraging fifth-place.