Hiromi Endo back in the scene with gold in Budapest

The Grand Prix for lightweights U48kg in Budapest was captured by Hiromi Endo. After winning the World Masters in Tyumen she was out of sight, but now made her comeback with gold in Hungary, the organiser of the 2017 World Championships.

Endo Hiromi signaled her return to the elite level by winning the first gold medal at stake on day one of the Budapest Grand Prix. Endo, 23, won the Cadet World Championships in Budapest in 2009, before going on to experiencing senior success including a stunning World Judo Masters win in 2013. The Japanese fighter’s career has stalled since then due to a run of injuries but Endo is back and has already put her name into contention for a long battle for a place at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Endo met 18-year-old IJF World Judo Tour debutant Romane Yvin (FRA) in the first final in Hungary and controlled the contest from start to finish as the Budapest specialist held down the young Frenchwoman for 20 seconds for ippon to open Japan’s medal account in fine fashion.

The first bronze medal fight pitted Cluj Napoca European Open bronze medallist Violeta Dumitru (ROU) against Rio-bound Taciana Lima-Balde (GBS). The world-class African fighter produced an assured display as she fought past her Romanian foe by scoring a waza-ari with a deft piece of footwork before adding a yuko from osaekomi. Lisbon-based Lima-Balde will be confident of challenging for honours at her first Olympics as she becomes the first Guinea Bissau judoka to compete at the Olympics in Rio. 

The second bronze medal fight opposed Sofia European Open silver medallist Milica Nikolic (SRB) and 19-year-old former Junior European champion Pupp Reka (HUN). Nikolic was the stronger of the two judoka as she scored a yuko and a waza-ari while youngster Pupp who was willed on by the home faithful mustered an ambitious uchi-mata attempt as she was second best but is a hope for the future for the hosts.