The top seed in the second half of the draw was far from being an unknown. Wakana Koga (JPN) is currently ranked 16th in the world but she was also the junior world champion in 2019, the senior world silver medallist in 2021 and third in 2023. In addition, she was a gold medallist at the World Judo Masters in Hungary in 2023, to name just a few results. It was therefore not too surprising to find her in the final against Galiya Tynbayeva, after a flawless run in the morning.
It took some time for Koga to take actual control of the final, even if she looked in control from the first hajime. Several attacks were just the preparation of what was coming, a beautiful o-uchi-gari for waza-ari followed on the floor for ippon after sh pinned her opponent. The first gold medal of the 2024 edition of the grand prix goes to Japan.
Anais Perrot (FRA) and Jacqueline Springer (AUT) entered the tatami for a place on the podium. It didn't take long for Perrot to score a first waza-ari with a very low seoi-otoshi. It was not perfectly executed and didn't get the full landing on the back, but that was preparation for the second score that came a little later with the same move for the second waza-ari. It was a bronze medal for Anais Perrot (FRA).
Amber Gersjes (NED) and Rebeka Rita Koszegi (HUN) faced each other for the other bronze medal. Four minutes were not enough to decide the winner. At the beginning of the golden score period there was one shido apiece. 1 minute and 40 seconds into golden score, Koszegi was penalised a second time. Eventually the score came after 3:29 of extra-time with an uchi-mata that got the 90° landing angle synonymous with the bronze medal, bronze for Amber Gersjes.
Final (-48 kg)
Bronze Medal Fights (-48 kg)
