The women’s competitions on the opening day in Qingdao had it all: home success, Japanese precision, French consistency, and breakout moments for new names. China’s Wenna Zhuang delivered the first gold of the tournament for the hosts, while Japan’s Takeuchi and Tamaoki demonstrated the depth of their nation’s strength. Behind them, emerging athletes like Roza Gyertyas and Hyon A Kim showed that the future of women’s judo remains as unpredictable as it is exciting.
Conson Stadium was alive with energy on the opening day of the Qingdao Grand Prix as the women’s divisions delivered gripping contests and national pride in equal measure.
The women’s U48kg final set the tone for host nation China’s campaign. Wenna Zhuang, competing in her first Grand Prix final, seized the moment in front of her home supporters against Mary Dee Vargas Ley (CHI). The contest ended abruptly when Vargas Ley, a seasoned Panamerican champion, committed a grave error in the opening exchange and was disqualified for an illegal leg reap from behind. The result handed Zhuang her first World Tour gold and gave China the perfect start to the tournament.
In the bronze medal bouts, Mongolia’s Narantsetseg Ganbaatar overcame Taiwan’s Chen-hou Lin in a tight golden score contest decided by penalties. At the same time European champion Shirine Boukli (FRA) displayed her trademark control to defeat Korea’s Kyeongha Lee by ippon in ne-waza.
U52kg: Takeuchi’s Relentless Drive
Japan’s Rin Takeuchi showed little sign of nerves as she stormed through the U52kg category, culminating in a decisive victory over Korea’s Minjeong Kim in the final. Takeuchi’s relentless attacking style eventually broke through as she executed a powerful tsuri-goshi variation, throwing Kim cleanly for ippon.
In the bronze medal contests, Korea’s Surgeon Hwang secured a narrow win over Mongolia’s Uranzaya Bayanmunkh with an early counter, while Hungary’s rising star Roza Gyertyas dismantled China’s Xiuzhi Jiang with superior grip control before finishing in style with juji-gatame. For Gyertyas, already a 2025 world medallist, the victory confirmed her growing reputation as one of Europe’s brightest lights.
U57kg: Tamaoki Adds to Japan’s Medal Haul
The final women’s category of the day brought together China’s Jia Zhou, making her first World Judo Tour gold medal appearance, and Japan’s seasoned campaigner Momo Tamaoki. The final was short-lived, as Tamaoki’s experience proved overwhelming. A crisp kata-guruma scored waza-ari, followed immediately by a hold-down for a second score, sealed gold for Japan. Zhou had to settle for silver, though her final appearance signalled promise for China’s women’s team.
The bronze medals went to Sosorbaram Lkhagvasuren (MGL), who outlasted China’s Shuang Liu in golden score with a smart turnover, and DPR Korea’s Hyon A Kim, who stunned Korea’s Juhee Kim by throwing her for waza-ari in extra time. Remarkably, this was Hyon A Kim’s first World Tour appearance, and it ended with a place on the podium.
AloJapan.com