Inside news
Home
News
Kosovo enjoys two finallists with Kelmendi as winner

Kosovo enjoys two finallists with Kelmendi as winner

25 Jun 2016 21:40
by Mark Pickering - IJF
IJF Media Team / International Judo Federation

Two-time world champion Majlinda Kelmendi of Kosovo faced her lead training partner and understudy in 20-year-old Junior world champion Distria Krasniqi in the U52kg final at the Grand Prix of Budapest. The two Kosovo stars walked to the venue together ahead of fighting each other and went all out in a gripping bout.

Club and international team colleagues Kelmendi and Krasniqi, who live on the same street, were unable to score as Kelmendi prevailed on shido penalties 1:3 and the pair shared a special moment on the mat as they showed their mutual respect and friendship knowing that neither of them would be where they are today – on the Budapest Grand Prix podium among other triumphs - without each other.

The first bronze medal contest was won by former Junior World Championships silver medallist Larisa Florian (ROU) who lifted former Astana Grand Prix silver medallist Christianne Legentil (MRI) with a huge ura-nage for ippon after just 42 seconds having led by a waza-ari. Legentil has been training and living at the IJF centre in Dunavarsany to prepare for the Games having finished seventh at London 2012 and will quickly put her Budapest disappointment behind her to target the top ranks in Rio de Janeiro as she did in London. In London she surprised Majlinda Kelmendi who was superior in Budapest.

In the second bronze medal fight world number 38 Karolina Pienkowska (POL) narrowly defeated Junior European champion Astride Gneto (FRA). Pienkowska pipped Gneto to the podium with a low tai-otoshi scoring a yuko and the 20-year-old French fighter, whose older sister Priscilla will represent France at the same weight at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, fought to the end of the four minutes but her opponent held on with three shido penalties against her name.

More judo info than you can analyse 24/7! Share your results with your judo network. Become an insider!