Paris 2024 Olympian Maria Laborde (Kenosha, Wis. / NYAC / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center) won her first career Grand Prix medal for the United States on Friday, taking bronze at the Upper Austria Grand Prix in Linz.
Laborde, ranked #15 in the women's 48 kg division, won three of her four matches on the day, beginning with a round of 16 win over Szabina Szeleczki (HUN), scoring the decisive waza-ari (half-point) with a seoi-othoshi (shoulder drop throw) at the 2:40 mark of the match.
In a closely-contested quarterfinal match against #22-ranked Mary Dee Vargas Ley (CHI), Laborde scored the only point with an okuri-ashi-harai (foot sweep) for a yuko (quarter-point) in the opening minute.
Following her quarterfinal match, Laborde battled through a bout of sickness.
"I was a little bit down, but thanks to all my teammates who helped me to recover," said Laborde. "I really appreciate it."
The semifinal match was also decided by yukos. Laborde scored the first yuko just 22 seconds into the contest against junior world silver medalist Sachiyo Yoshino (JPN). Yoshino tied the match in the next minute with a yuko of her own, then scored the winning yuko with 15 seconds remaining to claim the victory. She would go on to win the silver medal.
Laborde advanced to the bronze medal contest against Sarah Ischt (GER) where the American needed just over a minute to choke Ischt for ippon and claim her place on the podium. The Olympian integrated more ne-waza (ground technique) into her arsenal than her usual preference for tachi-waza (standing technique).
"I added to my gameplan the ne-waza because you have to do it. Sometimes tachi-waza doesn't work."
Seventeen-year-old Jonathan Yang (Los Angeles, Calif. / USA Judo National Resident Team / L.A. Judo Club) also made a statement in his first-ever Grand Prix, finishing fifth in the men's 60 kg division. The 2024 Cadet World Champion, Yang went 3-2, winning his first three matches to propel him into the medal round.
In the round of 32, Yang scored two yukos and a waza-ari to defeat Nicolas Kutscher (GER). The next round saw Yang and Daniel Leutgeb (AUT) battle into Golden Score (sudden death overtime), where Yang scored the decisive yuko 32 seconds into the extra session.
Yang won by walkover against World #5 Francisco Garrigos (ESP) in the quarterfinals which set up a semfinal match against a fellow teenager in two-time and defending junior world champion Yamato Fukuda (JPN). Fukuda was able to pin Yang 1:18 into the contest to claim the victory and go on to win the gold medal.
In the bronze medal match, Yang faced Luis Barroso Lopez (ESP) and was thrown for ippon 49 seconds into the action.
"I'm happy with my performance," Yang said. "I didn't come here with a lot of expectations. I just told myself I was going to do my best and just use it as an experience because it's my first one. I was expecting to win some matches, which I did, but I ended up coming up short in the bronze-medal match. I got a little comfortable at the end but just going to use it as a learning experience."
2025 Upper Austria Grand Prix Results
Top eight and U.S. results are as follows:
Men’s 60 kg
1. Yamoto Fukuda (JPN)
2. Yusei Adachi (JPN)
3. Michel Augusto (BRA)
3. Luis Barroso Lopez (ESP)
5. Jonathan Charon (CUB)
5. Jonathan Yang (Los Angeles, Calif. / USA Judo National Resident Team / L.A. Judo Club)
7. Francisco Garrigos (ESP)
7. Biagio D'Angelo (ITA)
Also Competed:
Women 48 kg
1. Abiba Abuzhakynova (KAZ)
2. Sachiyo Yoshino(JPN)
3. Laziza Haydarova (UZB)
3. Maria Laborde (Kenosha, Wis. / NYAC / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center)
5. Amber Gersjes (NED)
5. Sarah Ischt (GER)
7. Mary Dee Vargas Ley (CHI)
7. Jacqueline Springer (AUT)
Men 66 kg
1. Ronald Lima (BRA)
2. Shuntaro Kukuchi (JPN)
3. Kairi Kentoku (JPN)
3. Guy Gutman (ISR)
5. Nicolas Kunze (GER)
5. Temur Nozadze (GEO)
7. Jusuf Nurkovic (MNE)
7. Dilshodbek Baratov (UZB)
Also Competed: Jacob Yang (Los Angeles, Calif. / USA Judo National Resident Team / L.A. Judo Club), 0-1
Women 52 kg
1. Iroha Oi (JPN)
2. Distria Krasniqi (KOS)
3. Ariane Toro Soler (ESP)
3. Mascha Ballhaus (GER)
5. Naomi Van Krevel (NED)
5. Reka Pupp (HUN)
7. Nikolina Nisavic (SRB)
7. Roza Gyertyas (HUN)
Also Competed: Jenna Schurr (Torrance, Calif.), 0-1
Men’s 73 kg
1. Giovanni Esposito (ITA)
2. Daniel Szegedi (HUN)
3. Mardon Ravshanov (UZB)
3. Chusniddin Karimov (CZE)
5. Samuel Gassner (AUT)
5. Aron Szabo (HUN)
7. Zelemkhan Batchaev (BEL)
7. Ibrahim Demirel (TUR)
Also Competed: Jack Yonezuka (West Long Branch, N.J. / NYAC / Cranford JKC), 0-1
Women 57 kg
1. Seija Ballhaus (GER)
2. Nika Tomc (SLO)
3. Shannon Van De Meeberg (NED)
3. Mariana Esteves (GUI)
5. Marta Garcia Martin (ESP)
5. Riko Honda (JPN)
7. Verena Hiden (AUT)
7. Malin Wilson Claret (ESP)
Also Competed: Noran Elmahroukey (New Providence, N.J. / NYAC), 1-1
Men’s 81 kg
1. Antonio Esposito (ITA)
2. Murodjon Yuldoshev (UZB)
3. Naoto Izawa (JPN)
3. Bernd Fasching (AUT)
5. Aurelien Bonferroni (SUI)
5. Joji Togo (JPN)
7. Azat Kumisbay (KAZ)
7. Vladyslav Kolobov (UKR)
Also Competed: Davit Aghasaryan (Sunland, Calif. / USA Judo National Resident Team), 0-1
Women’s 63 kg
1. Kaja Kajzer (SLO)
2. So Morichika (JPN)
3. Renata Zachova (CZE)
3. Laura Fazliu (KOS)
5. Amanda Zuaznabar-Torres (ROU)
5. Joni Geilen (NED)
7. Leila Mazouzi (SLO)
7. Ayten Yeksan (TUR)
Also Competed: Sara Golden (Crystal Lake, Ill. / USA Judo National Resident Team), 0-1
Men’s 90 kg
1. Giorgi Jabniashvili (GEO)
2. Tato Grigalashvili (GEO)
3. Riku Okada (JPN)
3. Marcelo Fronckowiak (BRA)
5. Miljan Radulj (SRB)
5. Thomas Scharfetter (AUT)
7. Peter Zilka (SVK)
7. Toni Miletic (BIH)
Also Competed: Oleksandr Nyzhnyk (Los Gatos, Calif. / USA Judo National Resident Team), 0-1; Harutyun Mutafyan (Glendale, Calif. / Hayastan MMA Academy), 0-1
Women’s 70 kg
1. Aoife Coughlan (AUS)
2. Ida Eriksson (SWE)
3. Kaja Schuster (SLO)
3. Yoshino Takahashi (JPN)
5. Gioia Vetterli (SUI)
5. April Lynn Fohouo (SUI)
7. Tayla Grauer (GER)
7. Aqulina Chayeb (LBN)
Also Competed: Isabella Garriga (Richmond, Texas / USA Judo National Resident Team / Westlake Judo Club), 0-1; Yasmin Alamin (Woodbridge, Va. / USA Judo National Resident Team / Sport Judo), 0-1
Men’s 100 kg
1. Ivan Felipe Silva Morales (CUB)
2. Krisztian Toth (HUN)
3. Anton Savytskiy (UKR)
3. Riku Hirami (JPN)
5. Iosif Simin (ISR)
5. Bojan Dosen (SRB)
7. Nurlykhan Sharkhan (KAZ)
7. Eduard Serban (ROU)
Women’s 78 kg
1. Yuliia Kurchenko (UKR)
2. Emma Reid (GBR)
3. Julie Hoelterhoff (GER)
3. Metka Lobnik (SLO)
5. Maria Hanstede (NED)
5. Dandara Camilo (BRA)
7. Eva Ronja Buddenkotte (GER)
7. Marie Branser (GUI)
Men’s +100 kg
1. Guram Tushishvili (GEO)
2. Lukas Krpalek (CZE)
3. Jelle Snippe (NED)
3. Yevheniy Balyevskyy (UKR)
5. Giannis Antoniou (CYP)
5. Shalva Gureshidze (GEO)
7. Tieman Diaby (FRA)
7. Igor Vracar (SRB)
Women’s +78 kg
1. Celia Cancan (FRA)
2. Grace-Esther Mienandi Lahou (FRA)
3. Tina Radic (CRO)
3. Miki Mukonoki (JPN)
5. Iriskhon Kurbanbaeva (UZB)
5. Paulien Sweers (NED)
7. Gabrielle Bouvier (BEL)
7. Maria Hoellwart (AUT)
