The Spanish representatives closed the first day of the Tel Aviv Judo Grand Slam with a total of four medals, after the silver medals won by Fran Garrigós, from Famu Vigo, in the category of up to 60 kilos, and Ana Pérez Box, in -52 , and the bronzes harvested by Alberto Gaitero (-66 Kg) and Mireia Lapuerta (-48 Kg).
After being exempt from the first round, Garrigós, number 5 in the world ranking, beat the Brazilian Matheus Takaki and the Mongolian Sumiyabazar Enkhtaivan by “ippon”, in a very tough fight that lasted for more than six and a half minutes.
Garrigós, current European champion, had fewer problems to defeat Belgian Jorre Verstraeten in the semifinals, bronze in the European Championships held last year in Sofia. Winning streak that the Spaniard was unable to extend in the final, in which the Famu judoka fell by a “waza-ari” in the gold technique against the Frenchman Luka Mkheidze. He touched gold and adds important points to reach the Paris Games.
