Mongolia claimed eight medals on the first day of the Ulaanbaatar Grand Slam, including a gold courtesy of Erkhembayar Battogokh ©IJF

Hosts Mongolia started the International Judo Federation (IJF) Ulaanbaatar Grand Slam with two titles to their name, while neutral athletes from Russia secured three medals on their return to competition.

Erkhembayar Battogokh and Enkhriilen Lkhagvatogoo claimed the gold medals in the men's under-66 kilogram and women's under-57kg categories respectively.

In the under-66kg gold medal match, Battogokh defeated compatriot Sod-Erdene Gunjinlkham in the final.

Yago Abuladze, competing neutrally for the IJF, defeated France's Walide Khyar for bronze and was joined in the same position by a third Mongolian after Baskhuu Yondonperenlei won against Denis Vieru of Moldova.

Lkhagvatogoo stopped a Russian victory in the women's under-57kg after beating Daria Kurbonmamadova, competing under the IJF flag, in the final.

Timna Nelson Levy of Israel and Ichinkhorloo Munkhtsedev of Mongolia took the bronze medals with respective wins over Lien Chen-Ling of Chinese Taipei and Pauline Starke from Germany.

Yago Abuladze, in white, won bronze in the men's under-66kg category, competing as a neutral under the IJF flag ©IJF
Yago Abuladze, in white, won bronze in the men's under-66kg category, competing as a neutral under the IJF flag ©IJF

Japan picked up two victories today too, courtesy of Natsumi Tsunoda and Ryuju Nagayama in the women's under-48kg and men's under-60kg respectively.

Tsunoda claimed gold at the expense of home hero Narantsetseg Ganbaatar, while Abiba Abuzhakynova of Kazakhstan defeated IJF's Sabina Giliazova and Lee Hyek-yeong of South Korea won against Leyla Aliyeva from Azerbaijan for bronze.

Nagayama took gold ahead of Chinese Taipei's Yang Yung Wei, with the pair being joined on the podium by Mongolian Sumiyabazar Enkhtaivan - who took bronze by beating team-mate Ariunbold Enkhtaivan - and Lee Ha-rim of South Korea, the winner against Israeli judoka Matan Kokolayev.

Finally, Uzbekistan's Diyora Keldiyorova claimed the women's under-52kg crown by beating Alesya Kuznetsova of the IJF.

Bronze went to Khorloodoi Bishrelt of Mongolia and Jung Ye-rin of South Korea with wins over Gefen Primo of Israel and Portugal's Joana Diogo respectively.