Yelyzaveta Lytvynenko and Audrey Tcheumeo (Photo IJF)
It was a battle of generations in the final of the women’s -78kg, pitting two giants of the category, from two completely different generations.
Yelyzaveta Lytvynenko of the UAE, already a senior world medallist and 5-time medallist on the World Judo Tour, at 21 represents a new era in world judo. Her opponent was a 35-year-old veteran of the circuit, a double Olympic medallist and 4-time world medallist; Audrey Tcheumeo of France, always a formidable opponent!
The final was tough for Lytvynenko, a series of high pressure exchanges in which Tcheumeo used all her experience to keep the young challenger at bay. A single yuko separated them, on paper, but the story wasn’t quite a simple as that; Audrey was in charge throughout to take the gold..
In the women’s +78kg final, junior world champion and senior world bronze medallist Lee Hyeonji of Korea was up against world bronze medallist Lea Fontaine of Franc.
The Korean teenager had clearly done her homework and knew how best to approach the fight, applying a sasae-tsuri-komi-ashi in the second exchange which earned her a waza-ari and a good position to conclude on the ground.
In the men -100 kg category Russian Niiaz Bilalov upstaged Zsombor Veg of Hungary. Bilalov was the more precise of the two and ensured he would score first, using an o-uchi to o-soto-gari combination. Veg soon equalised though, being very active in the transition phases.
However, Bilalov shifted into a new gear and refused to let Veg near him again. He threw with a hopping o-soto-gari for waza-ari and quickly threw again for a third score. As the time ran out, there was nothing Veg could do but accept defeat.
The men’s +100kg title went to Mongolian Gonchigsuren Batkhuyag, who defeated Slovakian Marius Fizel (SVK).
Batkhuyag hooked on to Fizel’s outside leg and drove him to the tatami for ippon. He has two grand slam golds already and now adds a first grand prix gold to his collection.
Final Results
Women’s -78 kg: 1. Tchuemeo Audrey (FRA); 2. LYTVYNENKO Yelyzaveta (UAE); 3. REID Emma (GBR); 3. HASEGAWA Mizuki (JPN); 5. KIM Minju (KOR); 5. WU Hongtao (CHN)
Women’s +78 kg: 1. LEE Hyeonji (KOR); 2. FONTAINE Lea (FRA); 3. VUKOVIC Helena (CRO); 3. LIANG Ye (CHN); 5. AMARSAIKHAN Adiyasuren (MGL); 5. AYIMAN Jinesinuer (CHN); 7. SUN Shaohan (CHN); 7. DAMBADARJAA Nominzul (MGL)
Men’s -100 kg: 1. BILALOV Niiaz (IJF); 2. VEG Zsombor (HUN); 3. MADZHIDOV Dzhakhongir (TJK); 3. KOSTOEV Dzhafar (UAE); 5. JEDRZEJEWSKI Michal (POL); 5. KUCZERA Piotr (POL); 7. GREEN Kaito (JPN); 7. GREGORY Max (GBR)
Men’s +100 kg: 1. BATKHUYAG Gonchigsuren (MGL); 2. FIZEL Marius (SVK); 3. LEE Seungyeob (KOR)l 3. LI Haiyang (CHN); 5. YUSUPOV Alisher (UZB); 5. ODKHUU Tsetsentsengel (MGL); 7. TERESINSKI Grzegorz (POL); 7. CHOTCHAEV Azamat (BRN)
