Golden Ariane Toro Soler takes the lead in Spanish qualification battle

In a surprising turn of events at the Grand Slam in Tokyo, first-year senior and junior European silver medalist Ariane Toro Soler emerged as the gold medalist, surpassing expectations and overshadowing more favored competitors like Krasniqi. Toro Soler (20) became the second youngest of this year to win a Grand Slam, only Babulfath (18) was younger in Baku. She is the second youngest ever for Spain to win a Grand Slam, only Laura Martinez Abelenda was a few months younger in 2019.

Toro Soler's journey to the final was marked by notable performances, including bronze medals in Paris and Baku earlier in the year. Her semifinal victory against Jang (KOR) showcased her inspired technique, particularly her ko-uchi-gake. Facing Toro Soler in the final was another newcomer to the grand slam final stage, Viktorija Ana Puljiz (CRO), who had previously secured two grand prix medals but never a grand slam medal.

The final match between Toro Soler and Puljiz was intense, with both judokas eager to secure maximum points. However, Toro Soler had already achieved a significant milestone in Georgia by potentially surpassing her teammate Lopez Sheriff in the rankings. Despite Puljiz's aggression throughout the match, the final scoreboard showed an even effort, with two penalties each. In the end, Toro Soler clinched victory in golden score with a massive uchi-mata for ippon.

Puljiz's journey to the final was characterized by notable victories, including a win against Lopez Sheriff in her first contest and a quarter-final victory against Mascha Ballhaus (GER) with an expertly timed o-uchi-gari. However, her semifinal win against Zhu (CHN) came through disqualification after the Chinese athlete executed a head dive.

In the quarter-final against Krasniqi, Toro Soler demonstrated resilience and strategic acumen, eventually securing victory with a well-timed throw. The first bronze medal contest saw Krasniqi facing Yeqing Zhu, where Krasniqi showcased her prowess with uki-goshi and sasae-tsuri-komi-ashi to secure the medal.

The second bronze medal contest featured Ballhaus and Jang, with Jang initially taking the lead with a sumi-gaeshi. However, Ballhaus capitalized on Jang's defensive struggles, ultimately claiming the bronze medal.

Estrella Lopez Sheriff and Ariane Toro Soler have ignited an exhilarating race for qualification for the Paris Games. With Toro Soler's recent victory, she has now surpassed Estrella Lopez by an additional 1000 points, further intensifying the competition for Olympic qualification.