JUDO: Japan impresses with five wins in Budapest Grand Prix, but Aguiar and Silva win for Brazil

Brazil's Olympic Champion Rafaela Silva (in blue) (Photo: IJF/Gabriela Sabau)

A fine field of 544 judoka from 82 countries came to Hungary for the Budapest Grand Prix, but it was Japan that had most of the spotlight, with five victories and eight medals in all, double what any other country could manage.

This was far from Japan’s best team, but 2017 World Champions Aaron Wolf (-90 kg) and Funa Tonaki (-48 kg) won their classes and Chishima Maeda (-52 kg), Masako Doi (-63 kg) and Wakaba Tomita (+78 kg) also won in the women’s division.

One current world titlist also won, Spain’s Nikoloz Sherazadishvili (-90 kg) and Brazil scored twice with 2016 Olympic -57 kg gold medalist Rafaela Silva and 2017 World Champion Mayra Aguiar in the -78 kg category. Rio Olympic bronze medalist Or Sasson (ISR) won the +110 kg class, showing he is still a contender for honors with the World Championships coming up in Tokyo beginning 25 August.

The Brazilians (2-2-0), Spain (1-1-2) and Cubans (0-0-4) had four medals each for second-best on the medal table. Summaries:

IJF World Tour/Budapest Grand Prix
Budapest (HUN) ~ 12-14 July 2019
(Full results here)

Men

-60 kg: 1. Yeldos Smetov (KAZ); 2. Boldbaatar Ganbat (MGL); 3. Yung Wei Yang (TPE) and Tornike Tsjakadoea (NED).

-66 kg: 1. Kherlen Gambold (MGL); 2. Yeldos Zhumakanov (KAZ); 3. Mikhail Puliaev (RUS) and Shakhram Akhadov (UZB).

-73 kg: 1. Akil Gjakova (KOS); 2. Georgil Elbakiev (RUS); 3. Telman Valiyev (AZE) and Khikmatillokh Turaev (UZB).

-81 kg: 1. Tato Grigalashvili (GEO); 2. Joao Macedo (BRA); 3. Attila Ungvari (HUN) and Ivaylo Ivanov (BUL).

-90 kg: 1. Nikoloz Sherazadishvili (ESP); 2. Shoichiro Mukai (JPN); 3. Ivan Felipe Silva Morales (CUB) and Beka Gviniashvili (GEO).

-100 kg: 1. Aaron Wolf (JPN); 2. Grigori Minaskin (EST); 3. Gu-Ham Cho (KOR) and Simeon Catharina (NED).

+100 kg: 1. Or Sasson (ISR); 2. Kokoro Kageura (JPN); 3. Richard Sipocz (HUN) and Gela Zaalishvili (GEO).

Women

-48 kg: 1. Funa Tonaki (JPN); 2. Distria Krasniqi (KOS); 3. Julia Figueroa (ESP) and Maryna Cherniak (UKR).

-52 kg: 1. Chishima Maeda (JPN); 2. Fabienne Kocher (SUI); 3. Andreea Chitu (ROU) and Ana Perez Box (ESP).

-57 kg: 1. Rafaela Silva (BRA); 2. Nora Gjakova (KOS); 3. Hedvig Karakas (HUN) and Sabrina Filzmoser (AUT).

-63 kg: 1. Masako Doi (JPN); 2. Ketleyn Quadros (BRA); 3. Junxia Yang (CHN) and Maylin del Toro Carvajal (CUB).

-70 kg: 1. Gemma Howell (GBR); 2. Maria Bernabeu (ESP); 3. Kelita Zupancic (CAN) and Elisavet Teltsidou(GRE).

-78 kg: 1. Mayra Aguiar (BRA); 2. Ruika Sato (JPN); 3. Natalie Powell (GBR) and Kaliema Antomarchi (CUB).

+78 kg: 1. Wakaba Tomita (JPN); 2. Nihei Cheikh Rouhou (TUR); 3. Idalys Ortiz (CUB) and Yan Wang (CHN).