The World Championship bronze medallist was utterly dominant in her display at the Park & Suites Arena, disposing of each opponent by ippon, including Germany's world silver medallist Vargas Koch in just nine seconds during the final, to cruise to her second gold medal in successive years.

"I don't know how I did it," said Polling

"I felt good all day; I beat all opponents by ippon.

"Last year I had a shoulder injury, but now I have no injury and feel great."

Despite her drubbing in the final, one of the shortest contests of the day, Koch claimed she was pleased with her silver medal.

"Overall I am pleased with how this competition went for me," she said.

"I attacked her [Polling], but she countered.

"I knew she is good at that and for next time I need to think of something else."

In the contest's first bronze medal final, Austria's Bernadette Graf did just enough to see off local favourite Fanny Estelle Posvite and ensure a repeat of her performance from last year, while Barbara Matic ensured Croatia did not go home empty handed as she defeated Spain's Maria Bernabeu Avomo.

The Netherlands' Kim Polling won each of her day's encounters by ippon as she cruised to her second European gold medal in as many years in the women's under 70kg division
©AFP/Getty Images





The men's under 81kg contest saw a repeat of the World Championship final as Georgia's Avtandil Tchrikishvili took on local hero Loïc Pietri.

Unlike in Rio de Janeiro last year, the Georgian managed to get the better of his French counterpart, avenging that World Championship defeat and ensuring he regained the European title he picked up in Budapest last April.

Beaten semi-finalist Sven Maresch of Germany bounced back in his next fight to beat Greek judoka Roman Moustopoulos and claim the first bronze medal.

The second bronze medal was picked up by Hungary's Szabolcs Krizsan as he defeated Belarus' Aliaksand Stsiashenka.

In the lightest weight category of the day, the women's under 63kg, Clarisse Agbegnenou had the crowd on their feet as she defended her European title with victory over Slovakia's Tina Trstenjak.

Despite her semi-final defeat at the hands of beaten finalist Trstenjak, Poland's Agata Ozdoba, who had knocked out world champion Yarden Gerbi in an earlier round, ended her debut European Championships with a bronze medal after victory over Italy's Edwige Gwend.

The second bronze medal went to Dutch competitor Anicka van Emden after she beat Austria's Hilde Drexler.

France's Clarisse Agbegnenou delighted the home crowds in Montpellier as she retained her women's under 63kg title with a win over Tina Trstenjak ©AFP/Getty Images







The only non-defending champion to walk away with a title today in the under 73kg category where 30-year-old Dex Elmont of the Netherlands finally sealed a European gold medal with victory over French world silver medalist Ugo Legrand.

"Ever since I was second in 2009, I have been chasing this European title," said Elmont.

"I grew stronger as the day went on, and especially in the semi-final and in the final I felt good.

"I just couldn't believe it that I won so quickly, usually the matches with Ugo go into the golden score."

The two bronze medals in this category went  to Slovakia's defending champion Rok Draksic and Hungary's Miklos Ungvari as the pair got the better of Azerbaijan's Rustam Orujov and Georgia's Nugzari Tatalashvili respectively.

The individual competition concludes in Montpellier tomorrow with the men's under 90kg, under 100kg and over 100kg contests, as well as the women's under 78kg and over 78kg weight categories.

To watch all the latest judo action click here.

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