(Belga) Yves Ndao won bronze in the over 100 kg category at the European Judo Open in Warsaw on Sunday in Poland.
Ndao, 20, 76th in the world, exempted from the first round, started with an ippon victory over Poland’s Wojciech Kordyalik (IJF 163). He was then beaten on ippon by Azeri Imran Yusifov (IJF 171). In repechage, he took the measure of the Polish Mariusz Krueger (unclassified) on penalties. His victory over the Azeri Jamal Feyziyev (IJF 88), again on penalties, in the fight for bronze gives him a first podium in a Continental Open event. In -81 kg, Abdul Malik Umayev (IJF 166) won against the Polish Kerim Ouerfelli (unclassified) then against the Briton Lachlan Moorhead, (IJF 51), each time on ippon, before losing to the Canadian Etienne Briand (IJF 57) on penalties. In repechage, he yielded to the Pole Sebastian Marcinkiewicz (IJF 208) on ippon. In -90 kg, Jitse Van den Herrewegen (unranked) defeated the Italian Ermes Tosolini (unranked) on penalties then lost against the American John Jayne (IJF 53) on ippon. Among the women, in -70 kg, Maxine Heyns (IJF 103) defeated the Spanish Begona Sotillo Gomez (unclassified) in the first round on waza-ari before losing to the Dutch Jorien Visser (IJF 54) on ippon. Femke De Bruyn (unranked) was beaten from the start by the Japanese Moka Kuwagata (unranked) on ippon. Kuwagata went on to win the tournament. (Belga)
