South Korea claimed an impressive 10 medals, including five golds, at the opening IBSA Judo Grand Prix of 2018 in Antalya ©IBSA

South Korea claimed an impressive 10 medals, including five golds, at the opening International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) Judo Grand Prix of 2018 in Antalya in Turkey.

Three of their triumphs at the two-day event came in men’s competition, headlined by Yang Seungjung's victory in the under-73 kilograms category.

Yang beat Uzbekistan’s Feruz Sayidov to secure the gold medal at the Antalya Arena.

He had defeated Paralympic and world champion Ramil Gasimov of Azerbaijan to ensure himself a place in the final.

Germany’s Nikolai Kornhass and Russia’s Sasilii Kutuev rounded out the podium.

There was also success for South Korea in the men’s over-100kg category as Song Woohyeok overcame Asian Championships silver medallist Shirin Sharapov of Uzbekistan.  

Iran’s Mohammadreza Kheirollahzadeh shared third place with Azerbaijan’s Ilham Zakiyev.

Song’s team-mate Youn Youngho added to South Korea’s gold medal haul with victory over Ukraine’s Davyd Khorova in the men’s under-66kg category.

Iran’s Reza Gholami and Uzbekistan’s Utkirjon Nigmatov were the bronze medallists.

Action was spread across two days in Antalya ©IBSA Judo/Twitter/RyolChikawa
Action was spread across two days in Antalya ©IBSA Judo/Twitter/RyolChikawa

In women’s competition, South Korea’s two triumphs came courtesy Li Jin Song and Park Hayeong in the under-63kg and over-70kg categories respectively.

Russia’s Olga Pozdnysheva finished second to Li, while Brazil’s Lucia Araujo, the Paralympic silver medallist in the women’s under-57kg division, and home favourite Duygu Cete Artar occupied third place.

The over-70kg silver medallist was Uzbekistan’s Feruzakhon Yusupova.

The men’s under-60kg went to form as Paralympic champion Sherzod Namozov of Uzbekistan was crowned the winner.

He beat Sergio Ibanez Banon, who earned Spain’s sole podium finish.

Georgia’s Zviad Gogotchuri, the men’s under-90kg Paralympic champion, completed a successful move up to the under-100kg category by winning his bout with Great Britain’s Samuel Ingram with a waza-ari.

Having won the women’s under-52kg event at the IBSA Judo Grand Prix in Uzbekistan’s capital Tashkent in October 2017, world and Paralympic champion Inna Cherniak of Ukraine beat Azerbaijan’s Sevda Valiyeva in the under-57kg final.

South Korea’s Soohee Choi and Uzbekistan’s Sevinch Saleva were the bronze medallists.

Japan’s Junko Hirose, one of her country’s brightest hopes for Tokyo 2020 as a Paralympic bronze medallist from Rio 2016, won the women’s under-57kg event.

Ukraine’s Valeriia Honcharuk took second, while Azerbaijan’s Sabina Abdullayeva, the 2014 World Championships silver medallist, was third with Turkey’s Zeynep Çelik.