On the second day of the 2023 Portuguese Grand Prix, the stadium was filled to the brim with fans, eager to cheer on the national stars.
Portugal gets its first gold medal
Portugal’s Barbara Timo lived up to the hype and, after sweeping the preliminaries, captured Portugal’s first gold medal at the tournament. The public was delighted with the heroine of her.
Catarina Rodrigues, director of the Grand Prix Portugal 2023, presented him with the medal.
“The public gives me extra energy, I feel very motivated to have this incredible support, including my family and my friends. I wish it was always like this in all tournaments. It’s been great to get the first medal for Portugal,” she said Tim in an interview.
-73 kg male
In the men’s -73kg, Uzbekistan’s Obidkhon Nomonov defeated Kazakh Zhansai Smagulov, blocking his attack and breaking through with sheer determination and spin. A result that was not expected.
Mohammed Meridja, Director of Education and Training of the International Judo Federation (IJF), presented the medals.
Nomonov explained to the press: “Having my team here is a great support, when I’m tired Iliadis cheers me up – when I hear his voice I find new strength, and I start to fight better, especially when I’m tired.”
-70 kg female
In the women’s -70kg, Australia’s Coughlan was very active throughout the day and claimed victory in the final, claiming Australia’s second Grand Prix gold medal.
Former Czech judoka Vladimír Barta, current IJF Sports Director, presented him with the medal.
-81 kg male
The rising star of South Korea, Lee Joohnwan, once again made a splash in the -81 kg category, making it clear that he is all danger in this field. Without a doubt, a rival to take into account.
Florin Daniel Lascau, IJF Director of Refereeing, presented the medals.
Although this time he did not reach the podium, he did get the support of the public. The Portuguese Anri Egutidze offered a great show to his followers, being one of the most outstanding athletes in the -81 kg category. On matchday three, more Portuguese stars will have their eyes on gold.
