Kim Ji-Su shines for Korea U63kg

Korean youngster Kim Ji-Su, 103 in the world ranking, captured the gold medal at the Grand Slam Qazaqstan Baryzy. Katharina Haecker was the top seed though at the Grand Slam in Kazachstan but above all she came with the confidence of her two bronze medals from the Tbilisi Grand Slam 2023 and the Antalya Grand Slam 2023.

Kim was cleaning up by eliminating Yana Makretskaya (AIN), with two waza-ari holds on the ground, Amina Belkadi (ALG), again on the ground, and then Laura Fazliu (KOS) with an opportunistic o-uchi-gari during golden score, which was credited with ippon. In the semi-finals, Kim, in great shape, defeated Joanne Van Lieshout (NED) after scoring at the very start of the bout with her left, low to the ground o-uchi-gari, before perfectly managing the remaining time tactically. Both Kim and Haecker reached the final in Astana.

Haecker was opposed to the Kazakh Moldir Narynova in the first round, she won with an unstoppable pin. It was then the turn of Turkmenistan’s Zulhumar Dashkinova to suffer Australian law, during a closer contest, which ended in penalties in favour of Haecker. Only the semi-final remained to be negotiated, which Haecker won against Dali Liluashvili.

Way less active than her opponent in the final, Katharina Haecker was quickly under pressure, having two shido to her name. Smaller than most of her opponents, Kim is not afraid to confront anyone and her low o-uchi-gari again did wonders as she scored a beautiful first waza-ari with it. Haecker was warned, but that did not change the outcome. With a second o-uchi-gari, Kim scored a second waza-ari for a clear and surprising victory. Well done!

Cristina Cabana Perez (ESP) and Joanne Van Lieshout (NED) battled it out for a place on the podium. The Dutch athlete didn't give any chance to her opponent. After Cristina Cabana Perez launched an uchi-mata, which lacked upper body control, Van Lieshout counter-attacked for ippon. It was a bronze medal for Joanne Van Lieshout.

The result of the match between Laura Fazliu (KOS) and Liluashvili (AIN) completed the podium. The contest was all fought in one-direction, as Laura Fazliu totally dominated her opponent, who was penalised twice before being thrown with a circular uchi-mata for waza-ari a few seconds before the gong. Fazliu took a bronze medal for Kosovo.