Tsukasa Yoshida successfully defends title U57kg in Tyumen

Three-time Grand Slam winner Yoshida Tsukasa of Japan controlled Daria Mezhetckaia of Russia in the U57kg final to win Grand Slam gold in Russia as the Japanese team reigned supreme. Yoshida defended her title of last year in Tyumen successfully

Former Junior World Championships bronze medallist and Celje European Cup winner Mezhetckaia, 22, fell behind to a waza-ari and could not escape a kuzure-tate-shiho-gatame hold from Yoshida who will be tipped to lead the way for Japan in this category following the Olympic Games. Yoshida has long been in the shadow of Olympic and world champion Matsumoto Kaori but that could change after Rio 2016 when the next cycle begins. Matsumoto won the title of this Grand Slam, held in Moscow at that time, in 2009.

The first bronze medal was won by former Rio de Janeiro Grand Slam winner Jovana Rogic (SRB) who beat Orenburg European Cup bronze medallist Sofia Chistanova (RUS) by a single shido in a scoreless contest. The second bronze medal was won by Orenburg European Cup winner Natalia Golomidova (RUS) as Orenburg European Cup silver medallist Aleksandra Salnikova (RUS) received hansoku-make for four shidos. Salnikova lost the Orenburg European Cup final rematch on the highest stage of their careers with an insipid display but Golomidova will not be concerned with the manner of the victory as she savoured the opportunity to represent her country on the medal podium in Tyumen.