Four Judokas Win First Gold Medals at Lima Grand Prix

Four judokas made history in Lima, Peru, each winning their first World Judo Tour gold medal in a single unforgettable day of competition.

Seiko Watanabe of Japan opened the breakthrough parade in the women's 63kg category. Facing Laura Vazquez Fernandez in a closely matched final, Watanabe scored in the final minute to claim her first gold medal on the international circuit.

Moldova's Vlad Mitru followed with his own career milestone at 73kg. In his first-ever World Tour final, Mitru defeated Jack Yonezuka with a perfectly executed ippon, the highest score in judo.

"Lima is a beautiful city with beautiful people," Mitru said after his victory. "The atmosphere is very nice and see you next time in Lima."

Germany's Dena Pohl nearly doubted herself before her 70kg final against Brazil's Nauana Silva. Despite intense training leading up to the event, she pushed through to score a waza-ari and secure her first World Tour gold.

"I didn't think I was winning today, to be honest, because we did some hard training before," Pohl said. "I think in the end we kind of managed to do it, the training, and I'm like, I don't know what to say. Amazing."

The day's final breakthrough came from local favorite David Lima at 81kg. Competing in front of his home crowd, Lima scored early against Canada's Francois Gauthier Drapeau and held the advantage to claim gold in Peru's capital city.

Why This Inspires

These four athletes represent years of dedication finally paying off on the world stage. Each had competed countless times before, falling short of the top podium spot until this remarkable day in Lima. Their victories prove that persistence and belief in yourself can turn years of near-misses into golden moments worth celebrating.

The Lima Grand Prix continues today with the heavyweight divisions taking to the tatami.