China is back in the heavyweights

China has a tradition of women's heavy weight champions. With only one grand prix medal to her name so far, Xu Shiyan is maybe the next champion, as she entered the final to face the Portuguese athlete Rochele Nunes (POR) in the final of the Grand Slam in Tbilisi.

As soon as the final started, Xu took the lead and seemed to have full control over the match. She even scored a waza-ari, but that's when she changed her tactics and gave hope to Nunes to come back into the match, but Xu again took advantage of a situation on the floor to pin down her opponent for ippon.

The first bronze medal contest saw Raz Hershko (ISR) and the first Brazilian Beatriz Souza compete for a medal. Raz Hershko tried to move around Beatriz Souza, but the difference of power was too big between the two competitors, for Hershko to put her opponent in danger. Eventually Souza launched a powerful o-soto-gari to leave no chance to escape for the Israeli.

The second Brazilian, Maria Suelen Altheman qualified for the second bronze medal contest against the second Chinese judoka, who was penalised three times to give the victory to the Brazilian for a 17th grand slam medal.

Chinese heavyweights to win Grand Slam gold

2. Wen Tong, 2009 Paris, 2011 Moscow

2. Ma Sisi, 2015 Tyumen and Abu Dhabi

1. Yu Song 2014 Abu Dhabi

1. Xu Shiyan 2021 Tbilisi after a gap of 6 years.draught