Miriam Butkereit positions for Paris medal

After five silvers and three bronzes, the 29-year-old Miriam Butkereit (GER) stood on top of the podium at a grand slam, getting the better of Margaux Pinot (FRA) in the women’s -70 kg final in Tashkent.

The final saw Pinot and Butkereit stepping onto the tatami with only one intention. Nobody wanted to settle for silver and they really went for it from the beginning. With 46 seconds to go, the German came up with a fast change of direction and threw for ippon, the win, the medal and maximum points.

Top seed Saki Niizoe (JPN) drew first in the bronze medal match, getting a waza-ari via osae-komi. The top seed did not waste any time after not being able to make it to the gold medal match and began on the front foot. Gercsak too did not sit back and was trying to attack but could not gain anything from it. Niizoe capitalised soon after and secured the medal with two waza-ari scores.

De Voogd and Matniyazova had an intense battle, the Dutchwoman managing to keep her cool. The home fans did their best to cheer on Matniyazova, but it was not enough. De Voogd shifted her gears and went for an uchi-mata, which was not successful. Moments later, she got her opponent’s arm, ending the contest with a submission.

It was business as usual for Saki Niizoe in her first fight of the day. A timely yoko-shiho-gatame helped her ease past Ugne Pileckaite (LTU) before backing that up with another ippon in the round of 16. Against Katie-Jemima Yeats-Brown (GBR), the Japanese star opted for okuri-eri-jime. However, the quarter-final saw eighth seed Gulnoza Matniyazova (UZB) shock the current world champion with a soto-makikomi.

Butkereit was made to work hard in pool C, with a golden score waza-ari getting the better of Daria Khramoikina (AIN). A combination of sumi-gaeshi and yoko-shiho-gatame helped the German to a waza-ari awasete-ippon finish against Ida Eriksson (SWE). In the quarter-final, seventh seed Kelly Petersen Pollard (GBR) gifted her the win after three penalties were assigned to her.

Pool D saw third seed Elvismar Rodriguez (VEN) exit in round two after a ko-uchi-gari earned a golden score waza-ari for Ekaterina Tokareva (KAZ). Another big name, Giovanna Scoccimarro (GER), was shown the door after receiving a hansoku-make against Margit de Voogd (NED). However, Szabina Gercsak (HUN) ensured the Dutchwoman was not to progress further, winning the quarter-final with uchi-mata-makikomi.

A juji-gatame by fifth seed Pinot helped her beat Khurshida Razzokberdieva (UZB) in pool B. Pinot did not stop there as the same technique helped her go past Luana Carvalho (BRA) and Madina Taimazova (AIN). In the semi-final, the Paris Grand Slam bronze medallist secured victory after Matniyazova received three shidos. The other semi-final saw Butkereit get a waza-ari win against Gercsak.