It is the second day of the Judo Grand Slam in Tel Aviv. The audience was eagerly awaiting the arrival of former world champion Sagi Muki.
The local hero wanted to continue his good performances at the place where he could celebrate so many successes in the last years. And he succeeded after an outstanding victory in the semi-finals.
In the final, the fans could no longer hold back their emotions. Muki won his fight against Vedat Albayrak (TUR) in only twelve seconds. The moment was all the more special as it was Muki’s first gold medal since his historic 2019 World Championship triumph.
It only took Sagi Muki 12 seconds to blow the roof off of the Shlomo Arena! Judo JudoTelAviv Israel WJT Judokids RoadToParis2024 OlympicQualifier pic. twitter.com/0rb25RrTVe
– Judo (@Judo) February 17, 2023
Beauchemin-Pinard: Olympic bronze now followed by gold
And this one had a message for his supporters: “I want to thank the fans from the bottom of my heart. To experience the love of the Israeli public is so important to me. All the effort, all the hard work – it’s all worth it for their support, for their love.”
In the 63kg weight class, Olympic bronze medallist Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard continued the dominance of the Canadian team, claiming another Grand Slam gold with an impressive armbar against Maylin Del Toro Carvajal of Cuba.
More success for team Canada at JudoTelAviv as Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard brings home the gold! ⁰⁰Judo JudoTelAviv Israel WJT Judokids RoadToParis2024 OlympicQualifier pic. twitter.com/UWCzabdRdo
– Judo (@Judo) February 17, 2023
Second Grand Slam gold for Stump
“The crowd here is fantastic,” Beauchemin-Pinard said in an interview afterwards, referring to her psyche. “I think I worked on myself and corrected the mistake I made in Paris here. That worked pretty well. “
Nils Stump from Switzerland entered the final in the 73 kg category. There he defeated the German judoka Igor Wandtke in a golden score and won his second Grand Slam title.
Stump rises to the top using the same technique he used to win his first Grand Slam gold, to win his second!
A gold medal is amazing and his flag is a big plus too! ⁰⁰Judo JudoTelAviv Israel WJT Judokids RoadToParis2024 OlympicQualifier pic. twitter.com/rbpISZWXMF– Judo (@Judo) February 17, 2023
Silver win for Butkereit
In the women’s 70 kg category Margaux Pinot (FRA) won gold against Miriam Butkereit (GER) after an outstanding day for her.
The spectators could experience unforgettable judo fights. Day number three of the Grand Slam in Tel Aviv follows on Saturday.