Youngster Iakiv Khammo takes gold in Zagreb

Junior World Championships bronze medallist Iakiv Khammo (UKR) celebrated his first Grand Prix gold medal and his arrival on the senior stage in Croatia as Sofia European Open winner Vladut SIMIONESCU (ROU) took silver. SIMIONESCU, who won bronze in Zagreb last year, went one better in 2015 while KHAMMO confirmed his potential to be a force on the World Judo Tour stage.

The Ukrainian sent his Romanian challenger off balance with ashi-waza and drove him backwards with pure strength for the maximum score having led by a waza-ari.  

In the first semi-final Buenos Aires Pan American Open winner Matjaz CERAJ (SLO) lost out to KHAMMO who was sharper and stronger than this opponent who succumb to a mune-gatame which trapped him for 20 seconds and ippon. In the second semi-final SIMIONESCU held down Budapest Grand Prix bronze medallist Andrey VOLKOV (RUS) to guarantee a second medal for Romania.

The first bronze medal went to top seed Roy MEYER (NED) who was unable to score but offered more in an entertaining contest against VOLKOV. MEYER was penalised once while VOLKOV was penalised twice. The second bronze medal went to CERAJ who beat Samsun Grand Prix bronze medallist BOR Barna (HUN). The Hungarian inadvertently poked his opponent in the eye and after a short pause the action resumed. Both judoka were penalised with a shido for passivity and the contest was still scoreless with 90 seconds remaining on the clock. CERAJ came through with 15 seconds left as he threw for ippon with a harai-makikomi.