Inside News
Kim Jin A strikes gold for DPR Korea
North Korean Kim Jin A won her second IJF title of the season with an impressive win over world number 16 Sarah Leonie Cysique (FRA). KIM won four of her five contests by ippon to maintain a 100% winning record on the tour this year in addition to her continental championships win in April. The 23-year-old beat Cysique in the final by a waza-ari score and could be a major contender at the upcoming World Judo Masters in December. Read more
Majlinda Kelmendi wins rematch against Giuffrida
Olympic champion Majlinda Kelmendi of Kosovo extracted a degree of revenge for losing the 2018 Abu Dhabi final against Olympic silver medallist Odette Giuffrida (ITA) by beating her long-time rival to win the 2019 edition. Kelmendi extended her one-sided winning record over Giuffrida to 7-2 by countering a desperate harai-makikomi effort after five minutes of golden score. Read more
Manuel Lombardo rewards himself for five-star showing
World number 10 Manuel Lombardo of Italy won all five of his contests by ippon as he charged to his first Grand Slam title. The 20-year-old outperformed former World Judo Masters winner Orkhan Safarov (AZE) in the final as the Italian scored with a ippon-seoi-nage and a modified kata-guruma respectively to win by two scores without reply. Read more
Kyrgyzbayev offers Kazakhstan the alternative
World number 11 Gusman Kyrgyzbayev of Kazakhstan struck Grand Slam gold for the first time in his career as he won the first men’s final at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam. The Kazakh finds himself behind teammate and former world champion Yeldos Smetov on the IJF World Ranking List with the latter holding fourth place. Kyrgyzbayev took top spot with the narrowest of wins over world number 19 Walide Khyar (FRA) by way of a waza-ari score from a ko-soto-gake. Read more
Daria Bilodid catches gold in Abu Dhabi Grand Slam
Double world champion Daria Bilodid of the Ukraine won her third Grand Slam title in as many Grand Slam outings as the Ukrainian teenager was unstoppable in Abu Dhabi. European Games bronze medallist Marusa Stangar (SLO), who holds a 2016 win over the prodigy, struggled to offer any resistance and could not escape a sankaku-gatame hold as Bilodid rushed to glory in the first final of the competition. Read more
Portuguese World champion Jorge Fonseca in his new life
Portuguese powerhouse Jorge Fonseca struck IJF World Judo Tour gold at his 46th attempt and achieved it in dream fashion at the blue ribbon event on the international circuit. Fonseca, 26, had lost Grand Prix finals in 2017 and 2018 which stood as his best results on the IJF stage until his career-making day at the Nippon Budokan in August. Read more
Daria Bilodid back on the mat in Abu Dhabi
Teenage world champion Daria Bilodid will compete in the UAE for the first time in her career when she takes to the tatami on the opening day. The two-time and reigning senior world champion, who only turned 19 two weeks ago, competes for the first time since winning her second senior crown in August. Read more
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- 24 Oct 2019DPR Korea team picks Grand Prix winner for their return to the circuit
- 23 Oct 2019English lessons for all Mongolian team members
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- 22 Oct 2019Iran Judo Federation suspended by the IJF
- 20 Oct 2019Japan strongest team in all age categories
- 20 Oct 2019IJF Refugee Mohammad Rashnonezhad captures bronze in Malaga
- 19 Oct 2019Sosuke Matsumura gives Japan best ever World Championships day
- 19 Oct 2019Japan discovers another heavyweight talent in Ruri Takahashi
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- 18 Oct 2019Lasha Bekauri completes the Georgian party
