JUDO: Japan dominates the Dusseldorf Grand Slam with nine wins and 14 medals

Two champions: Japan's Sarah Asahina (l) vs. Cuba's Idalys Ortiz (Photo: IJF)

The Grand Slams are the top tournaments of the season on the International Judo Federation’s World Tour, and whenever they show up, so does the first-line team from Japan. The result is domination.

So it was with the Dusseldorf Grand Slam, in which Japan won nine classes out of 14 and collected a total of 14 medals!

Japanese judokas won six of the eight men’s classes, including an all-Japan final in the 73 kg class, won by Shohei Ono over countryman Masashi Ebinuwa. Japan’s women entries won three classes of the eight, but one of the most-anticipated matches did not result in a Japanese victory.

Reigning World Champion Sarah Asahina and Cuba’s 2012 Olympic gold medalist (and twice World Champion) Idalys Ortiz squared off in the final of the women’s +78 kg division. The match was tight throughout, but Asahina was penalized for passivity in the final minute to hand the title to Ortiz. This will certainly not be the last time they meet.

Behind the Japanese in the medal standings came Russia (6: 0-4-2) and Brazil (5: 1-1-3). Summaries:

IJF World Tour/Dusseldorf Grand Slam
Dusseldorf (GER) ~ 22-24 February 2019
(Full results here)

Men

-60 kg: 1. Ryuju Nagayama (JPN); 2. Robert Mshvidobadze (RUS); 3. Lukhumi Chkhvimiani (GEO) and Tornike Tsjanadoea (NED).

-66 kg: 1. Joshiro Maruyama (JPN); 2. Limhwan Kim (KOR); 3. Baskhuu Yondonperenlei (MGL) and Yakub Shmailov (RUS).

-73 kg: 1. Shohei Ono (JPN); 2. Masashi Ebinuwa (JPN), 3. Lasha Shavdatuashvili (GEO) and Rustam Orujov (AZE).

-81 kg: 1. Sotaro Fujiwara (JPN); 2. Aslan Lappinagov (RUS); 3. Matthias Casse (BEL) and Dominic Ressel (GER).

-90 kg: 1. Mammadali Mehdiyev (AZE); 2. Sanshiro Murao (JPN); 3. Mikhail Igolnikov (RUS) and Jesper Smink (NED).

-100 kg: 1. Kentaro Iida (JPN); 2. Guham Cho (KOR); 3. Laurin Boehler (AUT) and Zelym Kotsoiev (AZE).

+100 kg: 1. Hisayoshi Harasawa (JPN); 2. Inal Tasoev (RUS); 3. Duurenbayar Ulziibayar (MGL) and Stephan Hegyi (AUT).

Women

-48 kg: 1. Funa Tonaki (JPN); 2. Yujeong Kang (KOR); 3. Catarina Costa (POR) and Nathalia Brigida (BRA).

-52 kg: 1. Majlinda Kelmendi (KOS); 2. Sosorbaram Lkhagvasuren (MGL); 3. Odette Giuffrida (ITA) and Crishima Maeda (JPN).

-57 kg: 1. Tsukasa Yoshida (JPN); 2. Rafaela Silva (BRA); 3. Sarah Leonie Cysique (FRA) and Sumiya Dorjsuren (MGL).

-63 kg: 1. Miku Tashiro (JPN); 2. Daria Davydova (RUS); 3. Masako Doi (JPN) and Andreja Leski (SLO).

-70 kg: 1. Sally Conway (GBR); 2. Muriam Butkereit (GER); 3. Maria Bernabeu (ESP) and Ellen Sanatana (BRA).

-78 kg: 1. Matra Aguiar (BRA); 2. Anna Maria Wagner (GER); 3. Bernadette Graf (AUT) and Klara Apotekar (SLO).

+78 kg: 1. Idalys Ortiz (CUB); 2. Sarah Asahina (JPN); 3. Maria Suelen Altheman (BRA) and Iryna Kindzerska (AZE).