Spain is inspired: unseeded Spaniard Perez Box wins gold in Cancun

Ana Perez Box of Spain was the shock winner of the U52kg gold medal as she defeated four-time Grand Prix medallist Agata Perenc (POL) in the final. Hohhot Grand Prix bronze medallist Perez Box won her first IJF final appearance at expense of Tashkent Grand Prix silver medallist Perenc by a waza-ari score to send her country to the top of the medal podium for the time being.

In the first semi-final Sarajevo European Cup gold medallist Fabienne Kocher (SUI) was countered by Perenc with te-waza for ippon with 56 seconds left. In the second semi-final Düsseldorf Grand Slam silver medallist Karolina Pienkowska (POL) was surpassed by Perez Box by two waza-ari scores.

The first bronze medal was awarded to former Tyumen Grand Slam winner Joana Ramos (POR) who used all of her experienced to beat Pienkowska. Ramos threw with a makikomi effort and held down her Polish rival for 10 seconds to seal her ninth Grand Prix medal and the second for Portugal on day one in Cancun.

The second bronze medal was won by European Championships bronze medallist Evelyne Tschopp (SUI). The world number 12 beat teammate and world number 61 Kocher in golden score by a waza-ari score after one minute of added time. Tschopp led in regulation time by a waza-ari before Kocher restored level terms and the more established Swiss judoka prevailed in golden score.