Youth and Experience Share Stage at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2010.11.23International Judo Federation

Avtor: IJF Media Team
Datum: 23. 11. 2010

Rasa Sraka -70kg (SLO) will be delighted with her gold medal winning performance here at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Having narrowly missed out on qualifying for Beijing in 2008 her win here brings her one step closer to her goal of Olympic qualification for London 2012. There was more to celebrate for Slovenia when Aljaz Sedej -81kg took silver after an inspired day that included a comprehensive win over former world champion Ivan Nifontov (RUS). But in the final Sedejžs opponent Sven Maresch (GER) produced his finest Grand Prix performance, one of such quality, that even Sedej could not match. This was a great result for the 22-year-old Slovenian when one considers that he spent much of the last two days traveling to get here from Sarajevo where he had been competing in the -23 European Championships. But there have been several travel stories at these championships including Elisabeth Willeboordsežs -63kg (NED) baggage nightmare. Her bags failed to arrive, and for once Willeboordse failed to make it past her first fight when she lost to the exciting 18-year-old Clarisse Agbegnenou (FRA) the eventual silver medalist. The final between Agbegnenou and Xu Yuhua (CHN) was a case of youth versus experience. Xu, aged 27, threw Agbegnenou with a beautiful Uchi Mata for ippon, which in a way made up for the loss by her younger sister Xu Lili (who is still only 20 years old) to Agbegnenou earlier in the day. Speaking of youth, it is pleasing to witness the continued progress of Mansur Isaev -73kg (RUS) whose talent was first put on display in a memorable gold medal winning performance at the -23 European Championships in Zagreb in 2008. Isaevžs gold here today puts Russia comfortably at the top of the medal table and comes on the back of Beslan Mudranov -60kg and Musa Mogushkovžs -66kg gold medals for Russia yesterday. Ippon of the day has to go to Volodymyr Soroka -73kg (UKR) who threw Nicholas Delpopolo (USA) with a devastating Hiza Guruma.

Sheldon Franco-Rooks and Annett Boehm
IJF Media Team

Photo: Tamas Zahonyi (IJF)


Women\\'s -63kg
Final
Clarisse AGBEGNENOU (FRA) vs. Yuhua XU (CHN)

Semi-Finals
Clarisse AGBEGNENOU (FRA) vs. Hilde DREXLER (AUT)
Yuhua XU (CHN) vs. Yahaira AGUIRRE DE JUAN (ESP)

Final Results
1. Yuhua XU (CHN)
2. Clarisse AGBEGNENOU (FRA)
3. Hilde DREXLER (AUT)
3. Yahaira AGUIRRE DE JUAN (ESP)
5. Elisabeth WILLEBOORDSE (NED)
5. Selda KARADAG (TUR)
5. Anicka VAN EMDEN (NED)
5. Vera KOVAL (RUS)
_____________________

Men\\'s -73kg
Final
Volodymyr SOROKA (UKR) vs. Mansur ISAEV (RUS)

Semi-Finals
Nicholas DELPOPOLO (USA) vs. Volodymyr SOROKA (UKR)
Mansur ISAEV (RUS) vs. Dex ELMONT (NED)

Final Results
1. Mansur ISAEV (RUS)
2. Volodymyr SOROKA (UKR)
3. Nicholas DELPOPOLO (USA)
3. Dex ELMONT (NED)
5. Sandor TARABA (HUN)
5. Christopher VOELK (GER)
5. Victor PENALBER (BRA)
5. Attila UNGVARI (HUN)

_____________________


Women\\'s -70kg
Final
Cecilia BLANCO (ESP) vs. Rasa SRAKA (SLO)

Semi-Finals
Edith BOSCH (NED) vs. Cecilia BLANCO (ESP)
Rasa SRAKA (SLO) vs. Juliane ROBRA (SUI)

Final Results
1. Rasa SRAKA (SLO)
2. Cecilia BLANCO (ESP)
3. Edith BOSCH (NED)
3. Juliane ROBRA (SUI)
5. Meiling ZHANG (CHN)
5. Erica BARBIERI (ITA)
5. Kerstin THIELE (GER)
5. Nataliya SMAL (UKR)

_____________________


Men\\'s -81kg
Final
Aljaz SEDEJ (SLO) vs. Sven MARESCH (GER)

Semi-Finals
Aljaz SEDEJ (SLO) vs. Vitalii DUDCHYK (UKR)
Artem VASYLENKO (UKR) vs. Sven MARESCH (GER)

Final Results
1. Sven MARESCH (GER)
2. Aljaz SEDEJ (SLO)
3. Vitalii DUDCHYK (UKR)
3. Artem VASYLENKO (UKR)
5. Francesco BRUYERE (ITA)
5. Travis STEVENS (USA)
5. Tomislav MARIJANOVIC (CRO)
5. Elkhan RAJABLI (AZE)