Amber Gersjes turns silver momentum into -48 kg triumph in Astana

Amber Gersjes took a big step forward at the 2026 Qazaqstan Barysy Grand Slam, winning the -48 kg title just one week after earning her first Grand Slam medal. This time, the Dutch judoka went all the way, beating Mongolia’s Narantsetseg Ganbaatar in the final and leaving Astana with gold.

The match changed on one clean moment. As the pressure built, Gersjes looked sharper rather than more cautious. She found the timing for a precise de-ashi-harai and scored yuko, giving herself the edge in a final that had been tight and demanding.

The tougher it got, the stronger Gersjes looked.

That score seemed to shift the emotional balance of the contest. Ganbaatar, already an experienced Grand Slam medallist, appeared less exact after falling behind, while Gersjes stayed locked in. Her attack and defence worked together smoothly from then on, and when the contest ended, she celebrated with a punch of the air.

It was a significant moment for the Dutch athlete. After taking silver the previous week, she returned immediately and upgraded it to her first Grand Slam gold. In her words after the final, she said she had always wanted to reach this point, that it had taken time, and that patience had been an important lesson in the journey.

For European judo, there was more to celebrate in the bronze medal contests too. Italy’s Francesca Milani claimed a podium finish against Chen-Hao Lin of Chinese Taipei. Milani scored first with a committed o-soto-otoshi in a tense match where both athletes were already carrying two Shido, making every exchange feel risky.

Milani managed that pressure well. Rather than forcing reckless attacks, she used the situation intelligently and controlled the gripping battle until Lin received a third Shido. It marked an important return to the World Judo Tour podium for the Italian, her first medal at that level since 2023.

Milani’s bronze felt like a real comeback.

The second bronze went to Kristina Dudina, who defeated Azerbaijan’s Shafag Hamidova. Dudina set the tone early, creating the first score from a seoi-otoshi entry with a sharp last-second change of direction. She stayed in command as Hamidova tried to raise the pace.

Once Hamidova had to push forward, Dudina found another opening. She spun underneath again, and this time the action brought Ippon, ending the contest decisively and securing her place on the podium.

So the lightest women’s category on day one delivered a strong European story, led by Gersjes and backed up by medals for Milani and Dudina. But the central image of the day belonged to the new champion from the Netherlands: calm under pressure, decisive at the key moment, and suddenly standing on top of a Grand Slam podium.

Source: IJF.org

Image source: IJF / International Judo Federation