Judo maestro Amartusvhin Dashdavaa delivers for Mongolia

Tokyo Grand Slam silver medallist Dashdavaa Amartuvshin (MGL) won his sixth Grand Prix title in the first men’s final in The Hague. The former world silver medallist won his seventeenth Grand Prix medal which puts him joint third on the all-time list with Natalie Powell (GBR).

Dashdavaa defeated 2016 Budapest Grand Prix winner Aoki Dai (JPN) in the gold medal contest after five minutes of golden score. Aoki, who fought for a medal at the 2015 Tokyo Grand Slam, entangled his leg and held it there to block the Mongolian and picked up his third shido to receive hansoku-make.

In the first semi-final world number 53 Artem Lesyuk (UKR) fell to Aoki who tapped out the Ukrainian from a tate-shiho-gatame hold for ippon. In the second semi-final Dashdavaa defeated former world champion Ganbat Boldbaatar (MGL) who received his marching orders after receiving a third shido for passivity.

The first bronze medal was won by Ganbat who caught London 2012 Olympic bronze medallist Felipe Kitadai (BRA) with ashi-waza for a waza-ari score and then changed his tactics to hold off the Brazilian judoka for the remaining time. There was no way through for Kitadai  as Mongolia were guaranteed to win half of the U60kg medals on day one.

The second bronze medal went to IJF World Judo Tour newcomer Romaric Wend-Yam Bouda (FRA) who flew past Lesyuk inside 34 seconds. The 21-year-old Frenchman scored a waza-ari with a o-soto-gari and then countered his overwhelmed opponent for ippon.