2024 Zagreb Grand Prix Results

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – Twenty-year-old Dominic Rodriguez (Lehigh Acres, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center / New York Athletic Club) had his best Grand Prix showing on Saturday with a 7^th-place finish in the men’s 81kg event at the Zagreb Grand Prix in Croatia, dispatching the top seed in the process. The event was the sixth Grand Prix appearance of Rodriguez’s young career.

The round of 32 match for Rodriguez against Iftach Badash (ISR) went to Golden Score (sudden death overtime) before Badash incurred his third shido (penalty) for non-combativity just 30 seconds into the extra session, thereby awarding Rodriguez the victory.

In his next bout, Rodriguez faced top seed and World No. 26 Mykhailo Svidrak (UKR). Again, the match went to Golden Score with the American throwing the Ukrainian for ippon (instant win) just 18 seconds into extra time.

In the quarterfinal round, Rodriguez was caught by Botond Toth (HUN) with a throw for a waza-ari (half-point) score. Half a minute later Toth got the American to submit with an armbar to end the match.

In his repechage match against Arnaud Aregba (FRA), a 2022 Junior World Championship silver medalist, Rodriguez succumbed to an armbar once again, 51 seconds into the contest. Aregba would go on to win a bronze medal.

Top eight and U.S. results are as follows:

Women’s 48kg
1. Wakana Koga (JPN)
2. Galiya Tynbayeva (KAZ)
3. Anais Perrot (FRA)
3. Amber Gerjes (NED)
5. Jacqueline Springer (AUT)
5. Rebeka Rita Koszegi (HUN)
7. Sarah Ischt (GER)
7. Lois Petit (BEL)

Women’s 52kg
1. Kisumi Omori (JPN)
2. Ayumi Leiva Sanchez (ESP)
3. Tereza Bodnarova (CZE)
3. Leonie Gonzalez (FRA)
5. Aydan Valiyeva (AZE)
5. Roza Gyertyas (HUN)
7. Mireia Lapuerta Comas (ESP)
7. Naomi Van Krevel (NED)

Women’s 57kg
1. Faiza Mokdar (FRA)
2. Ana Viktorija Puljiz (CRO)
3. Flaka Loxha (KOS)
3. Martha Fawaz (FRA)
5. Tihea Topolovec (CRO)
5. Beatriz Comanche (BRA)
7. Nike Tomc (SLO)
7. Maya Leopold (ISR)

Women’s 63kg
1. Kirari Yamaguchi (JPN)
2. Manon Deketer (FRA)
3. Nauana Silva (BRA)
3. Iva Oberan (CRO)
5. Geke Van Den Berg (NED)
5. Inbal Shemesh (ISR)
7. Gaetane Deberdt (FRA)
7. Florentina Ivanescu (ROU)
Also Competed: Emily Jaspe (Hialeah, Fla./Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center), 0-1

Women’s 70kg
1. Sanne Vermeer (NED)
2. Maya Kogan (ISR)
3. Shiho Tanaka (JPN)
3. Lara Cvjetko (CRO)
5. Kaja Schuster (SLO)
5. Kaillany Cardoso (BRA)
7. Andela Violic (CRO)
7. Katarzyna Sobierajska (POL)

Women’s 78kg
1. Sanne Van Dijke (NED)
2. Karla Prodan (CRO)
3. Lieke Derks (NED)
3. Coralie Godbout (CAN)
5. Lea Schmid (GER)
5. Liz Ngelebeya (FRA)
7. Lyse Versmisse (FRA)
7. Julie Hoelterhoff (GER)
Also Competed: Nicole Stout (Schenectady, N.Y. / Jason Morris Judo Center), 0-1

Women’s +78kg
1. Coralie Hayme (FRA)
2. Yuli Alma Mishiner (ISR)
3. Giovanna Santos (BRA)
3. Erica Simonetti (ITA)
5. Maria Hoellwart (AUT)
5. Helena Vukovic (CRO)
7. Akerke Ramazanova (KAZ)
7. Tina Radic (CRO)

Men’s 60kg
1. Sherzod Davlatov (KAZ)
2. Ahmad Yusifov (AZE)
3. Enzo Jean (FRA)
3. Turan Bayramov (AZE)
5. Lior Rafailov (ISR)
5.Artem Lesiuk (UKR)
7. Daniel Leutgeb (AUT)
7. Luka Modebadze (GEO)
Also Competed: David Terao (Arlington, Va.), 0-1; Christopher Velazco (Coral Springs, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center), 0-1

Men’s 66kg
1. Zhanarys Rakhmetkali (KAZ)
2. Michael Fryer (GBR)
3. Tengo Zirakashvili (GEO)
3. Ruslan Pashayev (AZE)
5. Eran Fiks (ISR)
5. Balint Gombas (HUN)
7. Ronald Lima (BRA)
7. Diego Calix (ESA)
Also Competed: Ari Berliner (Cumming, Ga. / Jason Morris Judo Center), 0-1; Isaiah Ramirez (Barstow, Calif. / Barstow PAL Judo Club), 0-1

Men’s 73kg
1. Daniel Szegedi (HUN)
2. Giovanni Esposito (ITA)
3. Zelemkhan Batchaev (BEL)
3. Robert Klacar (CRO)
5. Ibrahim Aliyev (AZE)
5. Bachana Bolkvadze (GEO)
7. Yehonatan Elbaz (ISR)
7. Wiktor Mrowczynski (POL)
Also Competed: Jack Yonezuka (West Long Branch, N.J. / NYAC / Cranford JKC), 0-1

Men’s 81kg
1. Victor Sterpu (MDA)
2. Gabriel Falcao (BRA)
3. Arnaud Aregba (FRA)
3. Leonardo Casaglia (ITA)
5. Adam Kopecky (CZE)
5. Botand Toth (HUN)
7. Dominic Rodriguez (Lehigh Acres, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center / NYAC)
7. Tom Libert (FRA)

Men’s 90kg
1. Peter Safrany (HUN)
2. Marcelo Fronckowiak (BRA)
3. Akaki Japaridze (GEO)
3. Mark Van Dijk (NED)
5. Sungho Lee (KOR)
5. Giorgi Jabniashvili (GEO)
7. Vugar Talibov (AZE)
7. Thomas Scharfetter (AUT)

Men’s 100kg
1. Anton Savytskiy (UKR)
2. Rhys Thompson (GBR)
3. Zaur Duniamaliev (UKR)
3. Iosif Simin (ISR)
5. Simeon Catharina (NED)
5. Zsombor Veg (HUN)
7. Francis Damier (FRA)
7. Marko Kumric (CRO)

Men’s +100kg
1. Kanta Nakano (JPN)
2. Grzegorz Teresinski (POL)
3. Lucas Lima (BRA)
3. Movli Borchashvilli (AUT)
5. Jelle Snippe (NED)
5. Yevheniy Balyevskyy (UKR)
7. Igor Vracar (SRB)
7. Evgeny Shmachilin (ISR)