Imamov responded to Moustopoulos' waza-ari with a superb sasae-tsuri-comi-ashi but the Greek immediately took the opportunity to immobilise him for ippon and claim gold at the Uzbekistan Sports Complex. 

In the bronze medal fights, Shaxzod Sobirov, another local athlete, beat Portugal's Carlos Luz, while Mongolia's Uuganbaatar Otgonbaatar overcame Ivan Vorobev of Russia.

In the under 73kg category it was an all-Mongolian final as Nyam-Ochir Sainjargal, the London 2012 bronze medallist, got the better of compatriot Tsagaanbaatar Khashbaatar, the 2009 world champion.

France's Pierre Duprat won the first bronze medal match against Russia's Denis Iartcev before Uzbekistan's Giyosjon Boboyev lost out to Russia's Zelimkhan Ozdoev, who won by yuko, in the second encounter. 

The women's under 63kg category saw Israel's Yarden Gerbi, silver medallist at the World Championships in Chelyabinsk in August, strangle Austrian Kathrin Unterwurzacher to add to the gold medal she won in Astana, Kazakhstan on Saturday (October 11).

"I really feel happy tonight," said Gerbi.

"It was my goal to come to Astana and Tashkent and to win both gold medals.

"I've done it."

Germany's Martyna Trajdos and Mongolia's Munkhzaya Tsedevsuren won the bronze medals, defeating Brazil's Mariana Silva and Spain's Isabel Puche respectively.

Israel's Yarden Gerbi (near) proved too strong for Austria's Kathrin Unterwurzacher in the women's under 63kg category at the IJF Grand Prix in Tashkent ©IJF





Austria went on to suffer a second final defeat of the day as Bernadette Graf was beaten by Germany's Laura Vargas Koch of Germany in the under 70kg category.

"I wouldn't say that it was my best competition day, but I was really concentrated and I took round after round to enter the final," said Vargas Koch, who engaged an o-uchi-gari, that was turned into an uchi-mata for waza-ari, just before the end of the final.

"Then in the final, I felt really good and confident.

"Everything went well and of course I am super happy with this victory on the international circuit."

Brazil's Maria Portela beat Israel's Lior Wildikan in the second bronze medal match after compatriot Nadia Merli had suffered defeat at the hands of Poland's Katarzyna Klys.

The organisation and atmosphere inside the Uzbekistan Sports Complex has been praised by officials from the International Judo Federation ©IJF

Lisa Allan, the IJF competition manager, praised the crowd following the second of the three days of the event. 

"This second day of competition was a real success," she said.

"We are all very impressed by the quality of the public.

"The stadium is fully packed from the morning on with a very knowledgeable audience, which is of course cheering for the Uzbek athletes but not only for the home judoka.

"Everybody is showing fair play."

Watch the latest action on Judo TV here.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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