Judo threw up some of the most exciting battles on Day 1 of the Tokyo Olympics 2020. After 35 matches in the women’s 48kg category, Kosovo’s Distria Krasniqi clinched the gold medal by defeating Japan’s Funa Tonaki.

World No. 2 Daria Bilodid and Mongolia’s Munkhbat Urantsetseg took bronze medals in the event.

Distria Krasniqi clinches Kosovo’s first gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics 2020

The 25-year-old Kosovan arrived in Tokyo on the back of strong performances in 2021. Prior to the Games, she won gold medals at the European Championships held in Lisbon and the IJF World Masters in Doha.

During her bout with World No. 3 Funaki, both competitors made early moves to get ahead. However, Funaki made more of an impact early on, with Krasniqi playing defense. With 20 seconds to go however, the World No. 1 made her move on the Japanese judoka.

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Using Funaki’s momentum, Krasniqi threw her to the ground, with the Japanese landing on her shoulder. This earned Krasniqi a Waza-Ari, leaving Funaki with just 14 seconds to make a comeback. With the Japanese unable to respond, Krasniqi won only the second gold medal in Kosovo’s Olympic history.

Their first gold medal came in the 2016 Rio Olympics, with another judoka Majlinda Kelmendi winning the women’s 52kg category.

Bilodid and Urantsetseg clinch bronze medals

Despite losing to Tonaki in the semifinal, World No. 2 Bilodid defeated Israeli Shira Rishony to win a bronze medal for Ukraine. Although both judokas received a penalty each in the first minute of the bout, they fought valiantly throughout the round.

However, the Ukrainian made her move in the very last second, pinning Rishony to the mat. Although the Israeli made an effort to escape the hold, Bilodid held on to secure the win through Ippon.

In the other bronze medal match, Mongolia’s Munkhbat Urantsetseg defeated Portugal’s Catarina Costa in a close battle. Although the two competitors fought well, Munkhbat made her winning move with just under a minute to go.

During the move, she pinned Costa to that mat and trapped her in an armbar, forcing the Portuguese to tap out. This gave the Mongolian the second bronze medal in the category via a win secured by Ippon.

READ MORE: Tokyo Olympics 2020 Day 1 Judo Results: Shocking Upsets and Intense Battles Kick Things Off