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Julia Tolofua defeats Cheikh Rouhou in Tbilisi final

Julia Tolofua defeats Cheikh Rouhou in Tbilisi final

5 Jun 2022 21:30
IJF Media team by Pedro Lasuen and JudoInside
IJF Gabriela Sabau / International Judo Federation

Everything pointed to a final between the French Julia Tolofua and Léa Fontaine, due to the absence of the Japanese and Raz Hershko. Tolofua respected the omens and qualified for the final. Fontaine failed and narrowly missed out on the final when she was clearly beaten by Tunisia’s Nihel Cheikh Rouhou, who scored waza-ari twice.

Tolofua started ahead in the predictions but Cheikh Rouhou had an inspired day. The Frenchwoman is taller and more mobile, that's why the Tunisian judoka was looking for a melee. When golden score was already poking their noses, Tolofua scored a golden waza-ari and took a victory in a grand slam.

Georgian Sophio Somkhishvili won the bronze due to Fontaine's injury. It's not the nicest way to win, nobody likes it, but you have to congratulate her because it's her first grand slam medal. The other bronze went to the Dutch Marit Kamps, executioner of the Kazakh Kamila Berlikash.