Qingdao Grand Prix Preliminaries, day 1

Let’s begin with a story of incredible perseverance. Chile’s Mary Dee Vargas Ley, -48 kg, has attended more than 50 World Judo Tour events and has been close to the medals several times. There was even a 5th place finish at the 2022 Tashkent World Championships but the podium has continued to evade her. She’s now in her first WJT final!

Faced with Kyeongha Lee (KOR) in the quarter-final, Vargas Ley produced a perfectly timed soto-makikomi for a waza-ari which was enough to place her in a semi-final contest against Mongolia’s Ganbaatar, an 8-time grand slam medallist. It was a real battle beginning with a waza-ari for the Chilean but Ganbaatar equalised with only half a minute to go. It then took several minutes of added time for Vargas Ley to see a third penalty go against her opponent, propelling her into the final. Every second of grit needed to win that 11-minute semi-final was worth it!

In the same category, it was likely that Olympic and world medallist Shirine Boukli (FRA) would also reach the final but a tiny slip, rewarded with a yuko for Wenna Zhuang (CHN) in the semi-final, meant that expectation did not get realised. Boukli was going to fight for bronze instead.

-48 kg final

Wenna Zhuang (CHN) vs Mary Dee Vargas Ley (CHI)

Bronze medal contests

Chen-hou Lin (TPE) vs Narantsetseg Ganbaatar (MGL)

Kyeongha Lee (KOR) vs Shirine Boukli (FRA)

The most notable moment in the men’s -60 kg category was authored by Mongolia’s Sukhbat Byambasuren. Placed in pool A with the number one seed, Taiki Nakamura (JPN), he would have an uphill struggle to get to the final but a spirited and organic decision saw him throw for ippon spectacularly and decisively, putting the Japanese judoka into the repechage.

However, Byambasuren couldn’t do it twice and dropped out of the running for gold, losing by double yuko to Hayato Kondo (JPN) in their semi-final. He was joined there by Harim Lee (KOR), the only one of the top four seeds to reach a semi-final. He didn’t dominate in the way he has at some previous events but he got the job done and secured his place in the final, one which promises to be fast; he who owns the faster feet may be the victor!

Nakamura’s day continued to be difficult as he faced Tajikistan’s Quvatov in the repechage. He went down by two yuko scores, Quvatov using a super low tai-otoshi expertly to tip the the Japanese judoka onto his side, but no fight is over until it’s over and Nakamura finally found an answer to his troubles, armlocking Quvatov and earning a place in the final block.

Quvatov, a physical and dynamic sportsman, had the potential to win a medal today but losing to both Japanese competitors in the group put paid to that hope. How teammate Mehrzod Sufiev also suffered, losing to Byambasuren’s teammate in the round of 16, an unexpected loss for another of the seeded athletes.

-60 kg final

Hayato Kondo (JPN) vs Harim Lee (KOR)

Bronze medal contests

Taiki Nakamura (JPN) vs Tumenjargal Tuvshintur (MGL)

Csanad Feczko (HUN) vs Sukhbat Byambasuren (MGL)

At -52 kg Rin Takeuchi looked unstoppable from the first ‘hajime.’ She passed Hwang (KOR) using o-soto-gari and some good control in ne-waza. She passed recent world medallist Roza Gyertyas (HUN) comfortably; 3 throws including a massive uki-goshi for ippon.

Takeuchi’s opponent in the final was to be Minjeong Kim (KOR) who threw both her Polish adversaries, Klimczak for ippon with o-soto-gari, Kaleta with a barrage of different techniques. Actually Kim was caught by the latter for a waza-ari but somehow still did not look to be under much pressure.

-52 kg final

Rin Takeuchi (JPN) vs Minjeong Kim (KOR)

Bronze medal contests

Surgeon Hwang (KOR) vs Uranzaya Bayanmunkh (MGL)

Xiuzhi Jiang (CHN) vs Roza Gyertyas (HUN)

The -66 kg men’s category was another good outing for the local team. China has both men and women pushing towards the final block in Qingdao, pleasing for their delegation and for Stephane Traineau, China’s new technical director.

However, it was Baskhuu Yondonperenlei (MGL) who really stamped him intentions on the day. He used sumi-otoshi twice, in his first two contests, to take the lead and eventually secure the wins he needed, to reach a semi-final against Ryoma Tanaka (JPN), who had looked unbeatable since he stepped on to the tatami for his first contest of the day. The Mongolian is known for his physicality on the mat and Tanaka perhaps underestimated his persistence. In an untidy exchange that went to the floor, both judoka stood back up, albeit without perfect balance. Yondonperenlei felt his position was better than Tanaka’s and threw for ippon; an opportunistic decision but a very good one.

Tanaka had beaten Shuai Zhang (CHN) earlier in the day, a newcomer to the circuit, on a World Judo Tour tatami for the first at just 19 years old. He was confident though and fought well. He beat Lin (TPE) in the repechage with a huge osoto-gari to book his place in the final block. This was an excellent first outing for the teenager.

-66 kg: final

Obid Dzhebov (TJK) vs Baskhuu Yondonperenlei (MGL)

Bronze medal contests

Ziyang Xue (CHN) vs Ryoma Tanaka (JPN)

Shuai Zhang (CHN) vs Channyeong Kim (KOR)

At -57 kg, Ana Viktorija Puliz (CRO), a 4-time grand slam medallist, was the first victim of an unknown quantity in the group, Hyon A Kim (PRK). A continental cadet championship 6 years ago is the only time she has been seen on a mat outside her home country, but the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has a strong history in lightweight women’s judo and so regardless of international experience, they should never be discounted.

Hyon A Kim went on to lose to Jia Zhou (CHN) in the quarter-final but took 2013 junior world champion Arleta Podolak (POL) all the way to golden score and then threw her with uchi-mata to ensure she would fight for a medal at the first time of asking.

Elsewhere in the category, Momo Tamaoki (JPN) was determined to hold her position at the top of the draw. She ploughed past Shuang Liu (CHN) and then. Juhee Kim (KOR) to reach the final, exactly as she planned.

-57 kg final

Momo Tamaoki (JPN) vs Jia Zhou (CHN)

Bronze medal contests

Shuang Liu (CHN) vs Sosbaram Lkhagvasuren (MGL)

Hyon A Kim (PRK) vs Juhee Kim (KOR)

All the action continues in then final block at 5pm local time and can be followed on JudoTV.