More delight for Mongolia on second day of Ulaanbaatar Grand Prix

There was more delight for hosts Mongolia on day two of the Ulaanbaatar Judo Grand Prix as Naranjargal Tsend Ayush added the nation's third gold medal of the competition.

The reigning Ulaanbaatar Grand Prix silver medallists went one better this year as she defeated South Korea's Asian champion Hwang Ye-Sul in the women's under 70 kilogram contest.

Georgia's Madrid European Open winner Esther Stam beat Asian Championships bronze medallist Gulnoza Matniyazova of Uzbekistan to secure the first bronze medal of this division before Brazil's Maria Portela claimed the second with victory over Canada's former world number one Kelita Zupancic.

Mongolian legend and Ulaanbaatar Grand Prix poster boy Tsagaanbaatar Khashbaatar was forced to settle for silver in the men's under 73kg for the second successive year after Georgia's Nugzari Tatalashvili edged to victory in the final.

Tatalashvili was the only non-Asian winner inside the Buyant Ukhaa Sport Complex today as he edged the Mongolian favourite on account of shido penalties.

In this contest, the first bronze medal was clinched by Oberwart European Open winner Takenori Nakamura after he derailed South Korea's world number 200 Won Gi Jang, who was in pursuit of his first ever International Judo Federation medal.

The second bronze was won by North Korean Asian champion Kuk Hyon Hong after he beat local favourite Odbayar Ganbaatar to seal the first IJF medal of his career.

There was delight for Japan in the men's under 81kg contest following Keita Nagashima's victory over South Korea's Beijing Olympic silver medallist Ki-Chun Wang.

The World Judo Masters silver medallist sealed victory with just a second remaining after he launched his opponent with an uchi-mata for a waza-ari.

Bronze in this category were awarded to Iranian Tashkent Grand Prix silver medallist Amir Ghasemi Nejad and Poland's world number 84 Lukasz Blach after victories against Germany's Alexander Wieczerzak and Canada's Antoine Valois-Fortier respectively.

An all-Asian final in the women's under 63kg competition brought a first gold medal for China as Rome European Open bronze medallist Junxia Yang defeated South Korea's Tokyo Grand Slam bronze medallist Da-Woon Joung.

Kazakhstan's Tashkent Grand Prix bronze medallist Marian Urdabayeva added another bronze to his medal cabinet as she defeated Mongolia's Tserennadmid Tsend-Ayush in the bronze medal final.

The final bronze was won by category favourite Martyna Trajdos of Germany as she recovered from a surprise semi-final exit to beat Russia's Marta Labazina.

Competition is due to continue in the Mongolian capital tomorrow with action from the women's under 78kg and over 78kg categories, as well as the men's under 90kg under 100kg and over 100kg contests.

Watch the latest action on Judo TV here.

Contact the writer of this story at paul.osborne@insidethegames.biz

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