She made her intentions clear from the outset. An ippon by osaekomi-waza against Fatjona Kasapi (KOS) provided the perfect start before she defeated Kenya Perna (ITA) with two yuko scores, the first coming from a beautifully executed o-uchi-gari and the second from a hold-down.
Ballhaus' momentum continued in the quarter-final, where Julie Weill Dit Morey (FRA) was dispatched in just sixteen seconds. In the semi-final, Gultaj Mammadaliyeva (AZE) resisted for much longer but eventually succumbed to another Ballhaus ippon, this time during golden score.
The opposite half of the draw proved considerably more unpredictable, with favourites and outsiders exchanging victories throughout the day. In the end, Kokoro Fujishiro (JPN) emerged from the battle to book her place in the final against the impressive German.
The final remained finely balanced for much of the contest. Ballhaus held a slight advantage in the standing exchanges, while Fujishiro repeatedly looked to capitalise in ne-waza whenever the opportunity arose. With less than a minute remaining, the Japanese judoka combined the two aspects perfectly. A powerful sode-tsuri-komi-goshi earned her a waza-ari before she followed the attack into a kansetsu-waza immediately, forcing the submission for ippon. It was a superb demonstration of judo transition and it secured Japan's second gold medal of the day.
Stepping off the tatami, Kokoro Fujishiro said, "I am incredibly happy. Although I have won other tournaments before, this is my first grand prix title. Looking ahead to the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028, the selection process is not yet completely clear, so my goal is simply to perform consistently well at every competition and continue building my ranking step by step. I know Uta Abe is an exceptionally strong athlete in my weight category and always aims to win, but I am determined not to lose. My focus is on winning my own contests and becoming stronger every day. To help me do that, I always travel with my lucky charm, a doll called 'Yuki-chan'. She feels like a friend to me. Having her by my side gives me confidence and helps me stay calm before my contests."
Brazil had two opportunities to leave Qingdao with bronze. Gabriela Conceicao (BRA) faced Ayumi Leiva Sanchez (ESP) in the first bronze medal contest, while Larissa Pimenta (BRA) met Gultaj Mammadaliyeva (AZE) in the second.
Leiva Sanchez claimed the first bronze medal after scoring a waza-ari before adding a yuko to seal a convincing victory.
The second bronze medal fight proved far more closely contested. Neither athlete could find a breakthrough during normal time as each displayed tremendous resilience. It was only in golden score that Larissa Pimenta finally found the decisive opening, scoring a yuko with o-uchi-gari close to the edge of the contest area to secure her place on the podium.
Final (-52 kg)
Bronze Medal Fights (-52 kg)
