Guram Tushishvili finishes for gold in just 46 seconds

Former world champion Guram Tushishvili (GEO) made a successful return to IJF World Judo Tour duty as he beat one-time Grand Prix winner Johannes Frey (GER) in men’s heavyweight final. Tushishvili, who was making his first appearance on the circuit since September, was a class above the field today as he won all five of his contests by ippon.

Frey was sent over for the maximum score from a sode-tsurikomi-goshi in the opening minute as the Georgian struck for the second Grand Slam gold medal of his career. 

In the first semi-final double Olympic bronze medallist Rafael Silva (BRA) was disqualified against Tushishvili after a toothless performance which saw him receive three shidos.

In the second semi-final Frey thwarted world bronze medallist Roy Meyer (NED) as the home judoka made sure that Germany would medal in the final block on the last day and be represented in the very last contest of the competition. Frey conquered Meyer by a waza-ari score having seen his older brother Karl-Richard Frey (GER) fall in round three of the U100kg category.

The first bronze medal was won by Kim Minjong (KOR) who defeated fellow world bronze medallist Meyer after two and a half minutes of golden score. Kim utilised his sutemi-waza to throw the Dutch powerhouse, who had has family in the crowd, with a yoko-guruma for ippon and appears on course for Olympic selection.

The second bronze medal went to Silva after 18-year-old world number 53 Richard Sipocz (HUN) was asked too much by the Brazilian on the international stage. Sipocz was penalised for the third time with 25 seconds left for a false attack but secured a wealth of ranking points after a career-best fifth-place finish at a Grand Slam and earned a giant-sized hug from man-mountain Silva.