Matanzas world runner-up Iván Silva won bronze today at the closing of the Grand Slam in Tel Aviv, Israel, the best performance in the Cuban judo delegation so far this season.
Silva, 90 kilograms (kg), won the D key of his division, after being bye in the first round and beating France’s Maxime-Gae Ngayap Hambou and Turkey’s Mihael Zgank by Ippon.
The man from Matanzas gave a superb and lightning projection backwards after mowing the Frenchman’s right leg from the outside at 2:49 minutes of combat and then used a similar technique against the Turk at 3:59 minutes of the fight, according to the television broadcast in live on the website of the International Judo Federation.
In the semifinal, the Cuban fought, but in a continuous action he was left vulnerable while trying to project the rival and suddenly lost by Waza-ari in the Golden Rule (extra time), at 5:59 minutes of the fight against the Serbian Nemanja Majdov, who was runner-up after being dominated in the final by the Azeri Mammadali Mehdiyev.
Finally, in the playoff for the bronze medal, Silva defeated Dutchman Jesper Smink by Waza-ari.
Thalía Nariño (over 78 kg) also competed for Cuba today, eliminated in her first outing by Ippon by the Kazakh Kamila Berlikash; and Andy Granda (more than 100), who triumphed by Ippon against the Kazakh Adil Orazbayev and later fell in the Golden Rule due to disqualification after receiving three Shido (warnings) against the Brazilian Rafael Silva.
The Cuban super heavyweight beat Ukrainian Yakiv Khammo at the start of the playoffs, disqualified when the clock showed 4:45 minutes, the same way Granda lost in the duel for bronze against Tajik Temur Rakhimov.
The remaining nine Cubans fell by the wayside in an expeditious manner in the previous two days, a result similar to that of the first event of the season, the Grand Slam in Paris, on February 5 and 6.
Cuba will also participate in the Grand Slam in Tbilisi, Georgia (March 25-27); and Antalya, Turkey (April 1-3).
