Asian Open gives Korea 5 victories

At the Asian Open in Taipei Korea won five titles, but also Slovenia surprised with three titles, all for men. Korea dominated the women’s division with four gold medals. Eighteen wining nations in total.

On Saturday Matjaz Trbovc and Adrian Gomboc of Slovenia both won their categories U60kg and U66kg. For Trbovc his first ever World Cup victory. Slovenian Adrian Gomboc won bronze at the World Junior Championships at home in  Ljubljana. In 2015 he won the European Open in Cluj and now the Taipei Open The Slovenian champion 2012-2015 won national championships in all age categories and this year seems to be one of his best.

Special was the victory of Danny Williams. The British Commonwealth Games winner last year booked his third victory in a row. In 2015 he won the Pan American Open in San Salvador. He took the British Open in London last week and this week he defeated Canadian David Ancor in the final U73kg.

The Canadians did good business anyway with silver for Ancor U73kg and Sergio Pessoa U60kg. There was gold for Stefanie Tremblay for women U63kg. Her fifth World Cup victory.

Srdan Mrvaljevic of Montenegro took the gold medal U81kg. This was just the level he needs to reach the transition to a level higher. Mrvaljevic won a silver medal at the 2011 World Championships against Kim Jae-Bum. Today he booked his 4th World Cup victory.

Another Slovenian victory on Sunday by Mihael Zgank U90kg. In the final he defeated Komronshoh Usto Ustopiriyon (TJK). Tajikistan won gold +100kg by Mukhamadmurod Abdurakhmonov.

Surprising was the victory for Won Jong-Hoon against Olympic Champion Tagir Khaibulaev fronm Russia who is still not in World Championships shape. He has 4 weeks to reach that level.

The long trip to Taiwan has proven to be most fruitful for Canadian judokas Stéfanie Tremblay. Exempted from the opening Under 63 kg round, Tremblay, ranked 58th in the world, won three matches – the first two by ippon, against Vietnam’s Huong Nguyen Thi and Slovenia’s Nina Milosevic, 46th in the world. The final match pitted her against South Korean Jiyun Bak, 37th, and the Saguenay native came out on top thanks to a yuko.

Portuguese veteran Yahima Ramirez won gold U78kg. She booked her second World Cup victory, now aged 35.