-63kg Gold: Tanioka (JPN)
South Korea’s Kim Jisu scored first with a low ouchi-gari for yuko. Just before regular time ended, Narumi Tanioka got the yuko score back with a tani-otoshi at the edge of the mat. That took them into Golden Score where Tanioka managed to pin Kim for yuko to win the gold.
Tanioka said: “I'm incredibly happy to have won today. All the hard work I put into preparing for this event paid off on the tatami. Even after falling behind early in the contest, I knew from studying my opponent that I had the technical ability to come back, so I kept believing in myself right until the final seconds. Looking ahead, Haruka Kaju remains unbeaten, so if I want to catch up with her, I simply have to keep winning at every opportunity I get on the international stage. I'm also incredibly grateful for all the support I've received here in Qingdao. The best way I can celebrate this Grand Prix gold is by giving this medal to my parents. They travelled all the way from Japan to support me and this is my way of thanking them.”
-70kg Gold: Cvjetko (CRO)
Tamara Lishchenko (RUS) used a Sambo-styled takedown to score yuko against Lara Cvjetko twice. Cvjetko could not score against Lishchenko but she fought a tactical match that resulted in three shidos for the Russian player. And with that, Cvjetko won the gold.
Cvjetko said: “I'm delighted to have won the gold medal and the Olympic qualification points, even though the final wasn't my best performance. I found myself trailing on the scoreboard, but I stayed calm, trusted my grip and kept applying pressure until my opponent received a third shido. After struggling with jet lag following last week's tournament, I felt much better physically today. Missing out on Paris 2024 has made Los Angeles 2028 my ultimate goal and every training session is focused on getting there. I don't feel any pressure to follow in the footsteps of our Olympic champion Barbara Matic. I'm on my own journey, although her success is a huge source of inspiration and I certainly miss having her as a training partner. I always enjoy competing in Qingdao. This is my second consecutive Grand Prix gold here and although I haven't had time to explore the city, I hope I'll be back again.“
