A golden year of Natsumi Tsunoda confirmed in Paris

As the Paris Grand Slam is taking place over two days only, seven weight categories entered into this Saturday at the Ibis Styles Accor Arena. With the lightweights traditionally as the first medal event, bringing 2021 World Champion Natsumi Tsunoda in the final.

The lightest women's category was dominated by Asian countries as Baasankhuu Bavuudorj (MGL) was opposed by world champion Natsumi Tsunoda in the final. Tsunoda is the current world champion, World Judo Masters winner in 2018 and already the holder of seven grand slam medals, so her qualification was not a surprise. This was not the case with Baasankhuu Bavuudorj, who so far had no record at all on the international circuit. 136th on the World Ranking List, she defeated top seed, Mélanie Legoux Clément of France in the second round, before winning against German Katharina Menz in the semi-final.

Tsunoda was the first to answer the call to action with a superb tomoe-nage for a waza-ari, Baasankhuu Bavuudorj landing on her side 90° to the tatami. The match looked to be going only in one direction, the world champion having way too many weapons in her bag, to keep control in tachi-waza and ne-waza. It was actually on the floor that Tsunoda concluded. After an ude-gatame attempt (armlock), she adjusted her balance to pin Bavuudorj for ippon. This is a first gold medal at the Paris Grand Slam for Tsunoda. After two lost finals in Paris fighting U52kg, this is the golden era for Tsunoda.

Team France qualified two athletes for the bronze medal contests: Mélanie Clément Legoux against Wakana Koga (JPN) and Blandine Pont against Katharina Menz (GER). The first lost to the Japanese competitor with an immobilisation for ippon, while the second won in golden score with an opportunistic and acrobatic uchi-mata for waza-ari.