The women’s \u201357 kg competition at the Guadalajara Judo Grand Prix showcased the strength and depth of French judo. Both Oph\u00e9lie Vellozzi and Amandine Buchard displayed confident, attacking judo throughout the preliminaries, defeating strong opponents to secure an all-French final. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vellozzi, bronze medallist at the Paris Grand Slam earlier this year, continued to impress with her tactical awareness and sharp execution, while Buchard reaffirmed her world-class status with clean victories, including her trademark kata-guruma that thrilled the crowd. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was fair to say that Buchard largely dominated the final. Her experience and technical mastery allowed her to claim her first grand prix victory in this category. Her rivals are now on notice, she could well become a major force at \u201357 kg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Still, the contest was far from easy, as Vellozzi offered determined resistance, forcing Buchard to stay sharp tactically, especially after receiving two penalties. In the end, two yuko scores made the difference, sealing a superb win and a second consecutive medal for Amandine Buchard in this weight category.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the women’s \u201352 kg category Ayumi Leiva Sanchez of Spain showed confidence and accuracy through the morning, confirming her status as the tournament\u2019s top seed with efficient, well-timed attacks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the other side of the draw, Brazilian Jessica Pereira impressed with her rhythm and determination, controlling her contests to earn a well-deserved place in the gold medal contest. At stake, a first grand prix title for Leiva Sanchez or a second consecutive gold for Pereira. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The contest was fought closely from the outset. Pereira found herself in danger during a ne-waza exchange when Leiva Sanchez nearly secured control but the Brazilian escaped without damage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
With no scores or penalties on the scoreboard, the contest went into golden score. After 49 seconds of extra time, Leiva Sanchez almost turned the match in her favour with a counter-attack but Pereira managed to resist once again. Finally, against the run of play, Jessica Pereira seized a narrow opening to throw her opponent and claim her second grand prix victory in a row.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The women’s \u201348 kg category brought together the division\u2019s most consistent and dynamic athletes. American Maria Celia Laborde and Spaniard Eva Perez Soler showed great control and confidence throughout their preliminary rounds, making the most of every opportunity with sharp transitions and precise technique. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In less than fifteen seconds, Laborde took the lead with a precise seoi-otoshi, immediately setting the tone of the final. After this strong opening though, the contest settled into a balanced rhythm, both judoka managing their attacks carefully. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As penalties began to appear, Laborde controlled the tempo perfectly, maintaining her advantage until the final gong without taking unnecessary risks. This was a well-deserved gold medal for Maria Celia Laborde and the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The men’s lightweight category delivered its share of intensity and surprises through the morning, setting up an intriguing -60kg final.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brazilian Michel Augusto determined to make up for his near miss in Lima, fought with sharp timing and confidence to reach the final. His opponent, Balabay Aghayev of Azerbaijan once again proved his class, dominating his pool with powerful and efficient judo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The final was a display of pure intensity, with both judoka launching attack after attack in quick succession. It wasn\u2019t until the last minute that the first penalties appeared, one apiece, keeping the tension high. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Everything was still possible! Perhaps a little too eager to take the initiative, Michel Augusto attempted an o-uchi-gari that lacked full commitment against an opponent of Aghayev\u2019s calibre. The Azerbaijani blocked the attack and countered immediately with a precise ko-soto-gari for ippon, sealing a brilliant victory and the gold medal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the men’s \u201366 kg Luukas Saha of Finland showed impressive control and adaptability earlier in the day, earning his place in the final with a clever golden score victory against top seed Daikii Bouba of France. Ruslan Pashayev of Azerbaijan built on his momentum from Lima, where he had claimed bronze, fighting his way to a well-deserved place in the gold medal contest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Both judokas believed in their chances until the very end, giving everything to gain the advantage. During normal time, neither could break through, neutralising each other completely in a tense tactical duel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was only in golden score that Ruslan Pashayev found the opening he needed, countering his opponent perfectly to claim ippon and capture the gold medal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. LABORDE Maria Celia (USA)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. PEREZ SOLER Eva (ESP)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. VARGAS LEY Mary Dee (CHI)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. MALCA Tamar (ISR)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
5. PEREZ Jade (MEX)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
5. QUACH Heidi (CAN)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. PEREIRA Jessica (BRA)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. LEIVA SANCHEZ Ayumi (ESP)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. PRIMO Gefen (ISR)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. MARQUES Nicole (BRA)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
5. PERNA Kenya (ITA)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
5. BEATON Evelyn (CAN)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
7. METROT Lea (FRA)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Women’s -57kg<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. BUCHARD Amandine (FRA)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. VELLOZZI Ophelie (FRA)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. TOPRAK Acelya (GBR)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. NASCIMENTO Shirlen (BRA)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5. GARCIA MARTIN Marta (ESP)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5. RODRIGUEZ SALVADOR Adriana (ESP)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 7. ZAKROISKY Hili (ISR)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 7. ORTIZ Renata (MEX)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. AGHAYEV Balabay (AZE)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. AUGUSTO Michel (BRA)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. VERSTRAETEN Jorre (BEL)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. YUSIFOV Ahmad (AZE)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5. CHARON Jonathan (CUB)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5. JEAN Enzo (FRA)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 7. ANDRASI Marton (HUN)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 7. YANG Jonathan (USA)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. PASHAYEV Ruslan (AZE)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. SAHA Luukas (FIN)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. NIETO CHINARRO Adrian (ESP)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. BOUBA Daikii (FRA)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5. YOUNG Charlie (GBR)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5. MANZI Elios (ITA)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 7. JARA Robin (MEX)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 7. LIMA Ronald (BRA)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The women’s \u201357 kg competition at the Guadalajara Judo Grand Prix showcased the strength and depth of French<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4801,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[106],"class_list":["post-4800","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international","tag-judo"],"aioseo_notices":[],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Final-Ophelie-Vellozzi-FRA-vs-Amandine-Buchard-FRA.jpg",640,458,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Final-Ophelie-Vellozzi-FRA-vs-Amandine-Buchard-FRA-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Final-Ophelie-Vellozzi-FRA-vs-Amandine-Buchard-FRA-300x215.jpg",300,215,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Final-Ophelie-Vellozzi-FRA-vs-Amandine-Buchard-FRA.jpg",640,458,false],"large":["https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Final-Ophelie-Vellozzi-FRA-vs-Amandine-Buchard-FRA.jpg",640,458,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Final-Ophelie-Vellozzi-FRA-vs-Amandine-Buchard-FRA.jpg",640,458,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Final-Ophelie-Vellozzi-FRA-vs-Amandine-Buchard-FRA.jpg",640,458,false],"morenews-large":["https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Final-Ophelie-Vellozzi-FRA-vs-Amandine-Buchard-FRA.jpg",640,458,false],"morenews-medium":["https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Final-Ophelie-Vellozzi-FRA-vs-Amandine-Buchard-FRA-590x410.jpg",590,410,true]},"author_info":{"info":["admin"]},"category_info":"International<\/a>","tag_info":"International","comment_count":"0","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Final-Ophelie-Vellozzi-FRA-vs-Amandine-Buchard-FRA.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4800","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4800"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4800\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4802,"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4800\/revisions\/4802"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4801"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4800"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4800"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4800"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Men’s -60 kg<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Men’s -66 kg<\/h4>\n\n\n\n