The Adventure Begins

There was interest in the performances of Christian Parlati (ITA) and Nikoloz Sherazadishvili (ESP) in their new categories. There was also curiosity to know if, for the first time in many years, the Japanese anthem would not be played once over the entire weekend. In short, there was interest in knowing if there are new things or if everything remains the same.

For now, in 2022, judo is born on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean and you already know that Portugal is a country of sailors and adventurers. After three days of competition in Portugal and before heading to Paris in a week we can now say that the 2022 adventure was launched and we are looking forward to the next competition days.

Men's -90kg: First Time for Jesper Smink

Thanks to the good results obtained last year, Christian Parlati (ITA) reached 11th place in the world ranking at -81kg. Showing the high value of Italian judo, he has won the Tashkent Grand Slam, finished second in Antalya and was on the podium of the European Championships. This season, he has decided to move up to the next category, in which he has no results so far and therefore less experience. Good for him, because for his first outing on the international circuit, he reached the final, where he was opposed by Jesper Smink (NED), who to date had never reached the final of a World Judo Tour event, although he was already already a five-time medallist on the circuit.

The match was quite balanced and both athletes were active enough not to earn a single penalty, until the last forty seconds when Parlati launched a poorly prepared o-soto-gari that was immediately counterattacked with o-soto-gaeshi by Jesper Smink for a first gold medal at that level.

Jesper Smink said, "It was my first final and my first gold medal in the first event of the year and in the first ever WJT tournament in Portugal. Until now finals always looked too far from me. Not anymore and I hope this is the beginning of something bigger."

159 in the world ranking, Iurie Mocanu (MDA) qualified for the first bronze medal contest against Alex Cret (ROU), 71st in the world. The latter scored a first waza-ari before pinning down his opponent for ippon, for a first bronze medal at this level.

Imeda Gogoladze (GEO), with no reference on the circuit so far, met a better known competitor, ranked 12th, Komronshokh Ustopiryon (TJK) in the second bronze medal contest. The Tajik scored a waza-ari with a seoi-nage during golden score, to grab the gold medal.

Women's -78kg: Yoon, Also For the First Time

12th in the world, Hyunji Yoon (KOR) had won two medals on the World Judo Tour before arriving in Portugal, both bronze. By entering the final, she had the opportunity to write a new line on her business card. She was up against the 2018 junior world champion, Alice Bellandi, who showed really good judo during the preliminary rounds.

Rapidly a shido each was given for avoiding gripping and both Yoon and Bellandi started to be more active. It was the Korean though who seemed more dangerous, closed to scoring a couple of times before the Italian received her second penalty. In golden score Yoon concluded with a superb waza-ari from a ura-nage to confirm her dominance. This is also the first gold medal for the Korean in a Grand Prix.

Winner of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Slam, at the end of the last season, Emma Reid (GBR) was again present in the final block but this time in the search for a bronze medal. She faced the second Korean of the category, Jeongyun Lee, who so far had two bronze medals to her name on the WJT. After having been penalised twice, Lee scored a waza-ari but was still in danger as one more penalty could mean the match was over but she kept attacking. Reid was then penalised twice as well and Lee Jeongyun could celebrate her second Grand Prix medal.

Inbar Lanir (ISR), bronze in Abu Dhabi 2021, was opposed by the 2021 European Champion, Beata Pacut (POL). It did not take long for Lanir to score a first waza-ari with a ko-soto-gari technique before she pinned her opponent for ippon.

Men's -100kg: Fonseca, of Course

Everyone was expecting a match between the -100kg world champion, Jorge Fonseca (POR), and the -90kg world champion, Nikoloz Sherazadishvili (ESP), both crowned in Budapest last year, in the second round in Portugal but after Nikoloz lost against Khangal Odbaatar (MGL), the way to the final was wide open for the local star Jorge Fonseca, who displayed his powerful, explosive judo throughout the morning.

Probably not on top of his form as the main objectives of the season are still far away, the Portuguese ball of muscle nevertheless executed some of the most spectacular techniques of the weekend. Fonseca is a showman and his judo is always enjoyable. For sure the public had the same feeling.

He was not even inside the competition area when the crowd began chanting 'Jorge, Jorge’ and the noise level went even higher when Fonseca stepped on to the tatami. Within thirty seconds the world champion had already attacked three times and a few seconds later the real attack came in the form of an o-soto-gari, followed with an immediate change of direction for seoi-nage and a tremendous throw. That's the problem with judoka such as the Portuguese man: you know what he is going to do, you know where the movement will come from, you do everything to avoid it, but in the end he does it anyway, just as planned and of course he scores with one of the most beautiful ippon throws of the weekend.

Never ranked before during an IJF event, Giorgi Beriashvili (GEO) qualified for the bronze medal contest against Marko Kumric (CRO), who did finish on the podium in Zagreb in 2021. Unfortunately for the Croatian athlete, this time the medal went to Georgia after Beriashvili threw for waza-ari and followed with an immobilisation for ippon.

With only a fifth place at a grand slam to his name, Adil Karimli (AZE) had no record on the WJT. To get on the podium he stood opposite L.A. Smith III (USA), who had a really good morning session, despite his rapid loss against Fonseca in the semi-final. Apparently dominated by the strong grip of Karimli, Smith, just before halftime, launched a left handed seoi-nage for a waza-ari, converted to ippon after video refereeing, to win a well deserved bronze medal and a premiere result at this level.

Women's +78kg: Hayun Kim Takes Gold

The last female final of the tournament saw the World Judo Masters bronze medallist, Hayun Kim (KOR), facing Stessie Bastareaud (FRA), who appeared for the first time at that level of competition.

The final went fast as Stessie Bastareaud applied a forbidden technique on the arm of her opponent and was disqualified. It was a gold medal for Hayun Kim.

Sarah Adlington (GBR) and Adiyasuren Amarsaikhan (MGL) were opposed in the first bronze medal contest. Adlington entered the golden score period with two shido to her name, while Amarsaikhan only had one. After less than one minute of extra time, the Mongolian caught the British competitor with an osae-komi-waza for ippon.

Ivana Maranic (CRO) and Marit Kamps (NED) met for the second bronze medal match. As Ivana Maranic couldn’t participate, Marit Kamps was designated the winner of the bronze medal.

Men's +100kg: Last Gold Goes to Korea

The Japanese team was quite discrete during the weekend and until the last one, none of their athletes reached the final. Yuta NAKAMURA (JPN) eventually had the opportunity to make the Japanese anthem heard, as he faced Minjong Kim (KOR), bronze medallist at the 2019 World Championships.

It was Minjong Kim who won the last gold medal of the day. After an uchi-mata attempt, he changed direction to drop under the centre of gravity of his opponent with a surprising kata-guruma for ippon.

Mbagnick Ndiaye (SEN) represented the African continent proudly in the final block of the men's heavyweight division, against Martti Puumalainen (FIN), bronze medallist in Zagreb last year. Giving no chance to the Finn, Ndiaye executed a perfect osoto-otoshi for a clear ippon and a first medal in a grand prix for the Senegalese giant. Bravo!

Mbagnick Ndiaye said, "There are 2 things to explain this medal: hard work with my coaches and the fact that I have been competing against the best for a long time. From now on I know I can do better so I hope this is not the end but just the beginning."

Christian Konoval (USA) is only 18 years old and he has now already reached a bronze medal match at a grand prix, against Richard Sipocz (HUN), silver medallist at the last Junior World Championships. After a long observation round, Richard Sipocz scored ippon to win that bronze.