HIGHLIGHTS AND GIFS AT IJF’S GRAND SLAM TYUMEN 2014 – DAY 2

Tyumen, Russia played host to IJF’s Grand Slam event over the July 13 weekend. This is one of IJF’s larger events drawing participants from all over the globe looking to collect points for the 2016 Olympics. We covered the top 4 Ippons from day 1 of this event here.

Day 2 of the action featured women’s -70, -78, +78kg categories and men’s-81, -90, -100, and +100 kg categories.

Although this was a great event, there wasn’t as much ne waza action as there was at the Grand Prix event in April. I am happy to report that refs are still giving a fair amount of time on the ground allowing players to work.

Let’s take a look at the 6 best throws!

(click the pictures for larger higher quality version)

#6: -81 kg bronze medal match: Pshmakhov (RUS) – Valois-Fortier (CAN)

After getting jammed in the eye with a finger, Valois Fortier comes back for revenge scoring a wazari with a surprising tai o toshi. Valois Fortier ultimately ends up winning due to the Russian receiving 4 passivity shidos.

#5: -78 Bronze Medal Match: Li (CHN) – Pogorzelec (POL)

Watch the grip fighting exchange carefully. Pogorzelec gets a cross grip on Li’s elbow and launches into her attack while at the same time grabbing the same side sleeve with her free hand. A nice o-soto-gari which probably should have been an ippon, what could’ve been called an ippon any other day.

#4: +100kg Bronze Medal Match: Harasawa (JPN) – Natea (ROU)

Right off the opening grips Natea starts to bully Harasawa around the mat with his size and strength. Harasawa finds his opportunity and finishes the match one clean throw – uchi mata.

#3: +78kg Final: Lee (KOR) – yamabe (JPN)

Yamabe attacks and scores ippon with a chopping o soto gari. I would not have wanted to be Lee.

#2: -100 Bronze Medal Match: Pacek (SWE) – Omarov (RUS)

Omarav, feeling desperate after given a third shido charges in for a kouchi attempt. The lanky Swede effortlessly reverses it with an uchi mata.

#1: -70kg Bronze Medal Match: Chen (CHN) – Arai (JPN)

Arai puts on the muscle right at the tipping point to get Chen over with the Uchi Mata. Also notice blistering pace at which she changes direction: ashi-uchi mata to o uchi gari to uchi mata STOP uchi mata quadruple attack, amazing speed!