Dusseldorf Grand Prix bronze medallist Zviad Gogotchuri was the first to have the crowd on their feet, as he bested Italy's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix winner Walter Facente in the men's under 90 kilogram event.

Stepping up after team-mate Varlam Liparteliani was ruled out through injury, Gogotchri put in a fine performance to hold down the Italian with yoko-shiho-gatame, after throwing him for waza-ari, to enable the hosts to leapfrog Russia at the head of the medals table.

A double showing on the podium was denied for the hosts as Paata Gviniashvili suffered four shido penalties to lose by hansoku-make to Russia's Kirill Denisov in the first bronze medal final.

The second bronze medal was captured by Ukraine's former Dusseldorf Grand Prix bronze medallist Vadym Synyavsky, who defeated Uzbekistan's Kamoliddin Kholmamatov with ashi-waza for ippon.

Zviad Gogotchuri had the crowd on their feet as he secured gold in the men's under 90kg final ©IJF



European silver medallist Adam Okruashvili produced a perfect ending to the first Tbilisi Grand Prix for the hosts as he defeated Russia's junior world champion Anton Krivobokov in the over 100kg heavyweight final.

The home favourite opened the scoring with a waza-ari from a harai-makikomi at the halfway mark and ensured victory by holding down Russia's young contender with a mune-gatame to the delight of the home crowd.

A lacklustre bronze medal final saw Azerbaijani judoka Vakhtangi Bitiev receive four shido penalties for passivity to hand victory to Ukraine's Stanislav Bondarenko.

The excitement did not improve much in the second bronze medal final as local judoka Levani Matiashvil secured the win after his opponent, Romania's Daniel Natea, received four shido penalties, again for passivity.

Jeju Grand Prix runner-up Artem Bloshenko was the leading man in the under 100kg category as he conquered Oberwart European Open bronze medallist Ivan Remarenco of the United Arab Emirates.

The Ukrainian scored a yuko from a yoko-otoshi and jumped onto his opponent in ne-waza as he sat through and held Remarenco with a kesa-gatame for ippon.

There was a double defeat for Georgian competitors in the two bronze medal matches as Guram Tushishvili lost to Israel's former Moscow Grand Slam winner Javad Mahjoub and David Loriashvili was bested by Azerbaijan's Elmar Gasimov.

Turkey's Gulsah Kocaturk will enter her home Grand Prix in Samsun next week full of confidence after taking gold in the women's over 78kg final in Georgia ©IJF



Turkey's Baku Grand Slam bronze medallist Gulsah Kocaturk was in top form ahead of her home Grand Prix in Samsun next week as she topped the podium in the Georgian capital with victory over Lithuania's Sandra Jablonskyte in the women's over 78kg final.

Russia's Sandra Jablonskyte got the better of local 19-year-old Elene Kebadze in the first bronze medal final, with Mariia Shekerova ensuring both bronze medals hung round Russian necks with victory over Ukraine's Anastasiia Sapsai.

Sofia European Open winner Assunta Galeone rounded off a strong Grand Prix for Italy as she beat Jeju Grand Prix runner-up Victoriia Turks of Ukraine in the women's under 78kg final.

The first bronze medal of this category was won by Croatia's Ivana Maranic as she scored a single yuko against Russia's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix bronze medallist Alena Kachorovskaya.

Junior World Championships bronze medallist Brigita Matic made it a bronze double for Croatia as she defeated another Russian in the form of Anastasiya Dmitrieva.

The International Judo Federation World Judo Tour will now move to Turkey next week for the second edition of the Samsun Grand Prix from March 28 to 30.

Watch the latest action on Judo TV here.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
March 2014: Double delight for Georgia in Tbilisi Judo Grand Prix
March 2014: Russia and Azerbaijan claim two golds apiece as action gets underway in Tbilisi Judo Grand Prix
March 2014: World Judo Tour arrives in Georgia for inaugural Tbilisi Grand Prix
February 2014: Germany's wait for gold comes to an end on the final day of the Düsseldorf Grand Prix
February 2014: Assmaa Niang secures first World Judo Tour medal with victory at the Düsseldorf Grand Prix