In the top half of the draw, top seed Aoife Coughlan (AUS) made a strong start, progressing through the opening section with the same consistency she had displayed a week earlier in Mongolia, before meeting Aleksandra Andric (SRB), who had already ended Kaillany Cardoso's (BRA) campaign. Andric found a way past the Australian to reach the semi-finals, but her progress came to an end against Tamara Lishchenko (RUS). Quietly, the Russian had gathered momentum throughout the day. After two opening victories, she overcame Dena Pohl (GER) and then Ida Eriksson (SWE) to secure her place in the gold medal contest.
The lower half delivered another major storyline with Lara Cvjetko (CRO). She came through a demanding section featuring Kaja Schuster (SLO) and Nauana Silva (BRA), before facing Olympic silver medallist Miriam Butkereit (GER) in the semi-final. Earlier Butkereit had eliminated fellow Olympic medallist Michaela Polleres (AUT) and then Nino Gulbani (GEO), giving herself every chance of reaching the final. Cvjetko, however, performed when it mattered most, winning a lengthy semi-final, decided with penalties.
Behind the two finalists, the bronze medal contests also promised plenty. Andric and Butkereit still had the chance to turn strong mornings into medals, while Eriksson and Silva came through the repechage to keep their own podium hopes alive.
Facing her first grand prix final against the vastly experienced Lara Cvjetko, Tamara Lishchenko showed no sign of nerves. The Russian quickly established a two-yuko advantage and appeared firmly in control. From that point onwards, however, the momentum shifted. Unable to find a technical solution, Cvjetko increased the pressure, forcing Lishchenko to defend more and more. As the Russian's attacks dried up, the penalties accumulated until a third shido brought the contest to an end, handing Lara Cvjetko the gold medal.
Cvjetko said, "I'm delighted to have won the gold medal and the Olympic qualification points, even though the final wasn't my best performance. I found myself trailing on the scoreboard, but I stayed calm, trusted my grip and kept applying pressure until my opponent received a third shido for passivity. After struggling with jet lag following last week's tournament, I felt much better physically today. Missing out on Paris 2024 has made Los Angeles 2028 my ultimate goal and every training session is focused on getting there. I don't feel any pressure to follow in the footsteps of our Olympic champion Barbara Matic. I'm on my own journey, although her success is a huge source of inspiration and I certainly miss having her as a training partner. I always enjoy competing in Qingdao. This is my second consecutive grand prix gold here and although I haven't had time to explore the city, I hope I'll be back again.“
The first bronze medal contest brought together two athletes accustomed to competing on the biggest stages. It was Miriam Butkereit (GER) who prevailed, using a clever combination of forward and backward attacks to create the opening for a waza-ari. Once ahead, the German managed the contest with authority, adding another World Judo Tour medal to her impressive collection at the expense of Ida Eriksson.
The second bronze medal contest remained scoreless at the end of normal time. Although Nauana Silva (BRA) found herself under pressure with two penalties against her, she resisted until golden score. It was there that Aleksandra Andric (SRB) finally found the breakthrough, turning her opponent for waza-ari to secure the bronze medal and finish an impressive day's work on the podium.
Final (-70 kg)
Bronze Medal Fights (-70 kg)
