The final itself tilted quickly in Ozbas’ favour. With a smooth, almost effortless sode-tsuri-komi-goshi, she took a clear lead and a firm hold on the contest. Coughlan appeared somewhat restricted, allowing her opponent to dictate the rhythm, an approach ill-suited against a judoka of Ozbas’ calibre. Comfortable in this controlled tempo, Szofi Ozbas maintained her advantage and secured the gold medal with authority.
The bronze-medal contests offered strong match-ups. Ida Eriksson (SWE) faced Rinako Saijo (JPN) in a contest shaped by contrasting tempo and tactical approaches, while Margit De Voogd (NED) met the in-form Elisavet Teltsidou (GRE) in what promised to be a physically demanding and fiercely competitive encounter for a place on the podium.
De Voogd and Teltsidou were the first to step onto the tatami. As expected, the contest was tight and uncertain for a long period, with neither judoka able to break through. It was ultimately in golden score that De Voogd prevailed, after Teltsidou received a third shido, earning a second medal for the Dutch delegation.
The rhythm was much the same between Eriksson and Saijo, with penalties falling first on the Japanese side and then on the Swedish side. In golden score, Ida Eriksson finally found the much-needed opening, launching a spectacular ura-nage to score waza-ari and claim her second grand slam medal.
Final (-70 kg)
Bronze Medal Fights (-70 kg)
