00:00It's day two of the Guadalajara Judo Grand Prix in Mexico.
00:05The arena burst into life with the opening ceremony, filled with spectacular performances and opening speeches.
00:11In attendance was Mrs. Lilian Estrada, President of the Mexican Judo Federation.
00:15And the speeches were given by Luis Rivera, Deputy Director of Sport Quality,
00:20Fernando Ortega, General Director of the Jalisco Sports Institute.
00:24And the event was officially opened by Mr. Vladimir Bata, Head Sports Director of the IJF.
00:30The crowd was electric as local and international heroes took to the tatami throughout the day.
00:35In the under-63kg final, current world champion Haruka Kaju of Japan faced Jessica Klimkate of Canada.
00:42This was their first meeting in a final.
00:44It was Kaju who demonstrated her total dominance on the ground, executing a beautiful transition to secure the hold down and gold.
00:54The medals were presented by Konade High Performance Director, Mr. Luis Rivera.
01:01The under-73kg final saw current Olympic champion Hidayat Haderov in his first final since the 2024 Olympic Games.
01:09Haderov seems to have now found his form and caught his opponent with his most dynamic moment of the day.
01:21Gold for Haderov.
01:23I have loved the tour in Latin America. Both countries are very beautiful.
01:28The main purpose for me coming here is to train and prepare for the competitions here next year.
01:33His medal was awarded by CODE Jalisco Director General, Mr. Fernando Ortega Ramos.
01:40The under-70kg final featured Lara Svetko of Croatia against Dana Poel of Germany.
01:46In a tense battle, only a single yuko score from Svetko would be needed to claim victory.
01:55Another gold medal for the Croatian's collection.
01:58I thought it was going to be like any point because of the way she flew and fell and then I looked and the referee gave yuko.
02:04And I was like, yeah, it's because I let go of my hands, but that's something to work on.
02:08She received her medal from IJF Head Referee Director, Mr. Armin Bagdazarov.
02:15In the under-81kg final, Vusal Galandaradze of Azerbaijan closed out the day with a show-stopping uranagi.
02:26A perfectly seized opportunity saw Galandaradze take home the gold.
02:30The medals were awarded by IJF Ambassador and IJF Medical Commission Chair, Dr. Antonio Castro.
02:39The home team put on a standout show for the local crowd, showcasing the passion of Mexican Judo on and off the mat.
02:47See you tomorrow for day three when it's time for the heavyweights.
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