The -70 kg final went back and forth between Cardoso and Pina, one dominating and then the other. Not much separated them and as the last half a minute approached there were just a couple of penalties on the scoreboard.
Tais Pina made a clear choice to change tack and with golden score in their sights, created an advantage in the transition phase of an exchange. She secured the osaekomi and held on for the full 20 seconds to take the win and the gold just four seconds before the end of the contest time.
The new Abu Dhabi Grand Slam champion said, “I’ve been looking for that triumph since Kazakhstan in 2024, so it's time to win a gold medal. Finally I have the gold medal around my neck again. It's really important because these past few years have been really hard. It’s nice to get points in the Olympic qualification period.”
Bronze medal contest: Giorgia Stangherlin (ITA) vs Louana Carvalho (BRA)
It was an all-action contest for bronze between two strong, determined individuals. For the first three minutes there was no positive score but Giorgia Stangherlin was beginning to edge it, attacking more and staying on top of the kumi-kata. However, just into the last minute, Carvalho hooked on to Stangherlin’s leg and threw her with osoto-gari.
With a yuko on her side of the board and the seconds ticking away, Carvalho settled into a more confident rhythm and left the mat satisfied with a good day’s work.
Bronze medal contest: Samira Bock (GER) vs Aoife Coughlan (AUS)
Aoife Coughlan, highly ranked, very experienced and known for her powerful approach to competition, led from the beginning of the fight, attacking more than Samira Bock and staying in control of the gripping exchanges. Bock did what she could to come back into the fight but Coughlan was like a wall in front of her. The win went to Australia on penalties.
Final (-70 kg)
Bronze Medal Fights (-70 kg)
