-70kg: Japan Keeps Winning with Tanaka / IJF.org

Ulaanbaatar Grand Slam 2023MONGOLIA Mongolia

-70kg: Japan Keeps Winning with Tanaka

Jun 24, 2023

by: Nicolas Messner

Gabriela Sabau, Emanuele Di Feliciantonio

Like the three other categories of the day, Japan once again placed an athlete in the final. This year, Shiho Tanaka had not yet participated in an international tournament, but now it's done and it's done well since she qualified for the final in her half of the draw, that should have been dominated by the powerful Elisavet Teltsidou, winner in Kazakhstan a week ago.

Final, Lara Cvjetko (CRO) vs Shiho Tanaka (JPN)

Olympic medallist in Tokyo in 2021, Madina Taimazova (AIN) had hoped to reach the final, but it was once again Shiho Tanaka who foiled all plans by eliminating her in the semi-finals.

We could almost forget that Lara Cvjetko (CRO), second in the World Judo Championships - Tashkent 2022, behind her compatriot, Barbara Matic, was the number one seed of the tournament in Mongolia. If other seeds had serious difficulties, discreetly but surely, Lara Cvjetko qualified for the final to face Tanaka.

It was a tense and tight final, which was ultimately won by Tanaka by penalty. This added one more gold medal for Japan and the harvest was not over yet.

Bronze medallist, Madina Taimazova (AIN)

Daria Khramoikina (AIN) and Madina Taimazova (AIN) qualified for a place on the podium. With Daria Khramoikina being unable to compete, the bronze medal went to Madina Taimazova.

Bronze medal contest, Elisavet Teltsidou (GRE) vs Maya Goshen (ISR)

Elisavet Teltsidou (GRE) was still in the hunt for a medal against Maya Goshen (ISR), but unfortunately for her, the Israeli judoka wanted it more today. The bronze medal went to Maya Goshen, the second bronze medal at that level of competition.