Ukrainian judoka wins first gold at Grand Slam tournament

Yuliia Kurchenko, Ukrainian judoka, has won the Grand Slam tournament in Tbilisi.

The 20-year-old Ukrainian won in the weight category under 78 kg. In the final fixture, she defeated four-time world champion Guusje Steenhuis from the Netherlands, by tripping her at 1 minute 38 seconds.

This was the second single fight between Kurchenko and Steenhuis. In the first two fights, the Dutch judoka proved to be stronger.

This is the first gold medal for Kurchenko in the Grand Slam series tournament in her career. Another Ukrainian, Yelyzaveta Lytvynenko, took the third prize at the same tournament.

Background: The International Judo Federation violates the recommendations of the International Olympic Committee concerning allowing the athletes from the aggressor states to participate in competitions.

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