Rafaela Silva won this Friday (31), the gold medal in the -57kg category at the Grand Slam in Antalya, Turkey, after beating the Canadian Christa Deguchi in the final. It was Brazil’s first gold medal of the 2023 season and the only one not won by a Frenchman on that opening day.

The fight was balanced and the Brazilian was only able to land the blow with less than ten seconds remaining when she landed a waza-ari.

🚨 FOR EVERYTHING: enjoy without moderation this INCREDIBLE Wazari by Rafaela Silva during the Antalya GS final 🇹🇷! pic.twitter.com/wRkOKyLmjc

— Team Brazil (@timebrasil) March 31, 2023

Rafa won his first two fights for waza-ari and in the quarter-finals he passed thanks to the disqualification of his opponent. In the semi-finals, she made a ippon in the Slovenian Kaja Kajzer.

FINAL!!!! 🇧🇷@Rafaelasilvaa 57kg rode the choke and beat Kaja Kayzer 🇸🇮 in the Antalya Grand Slam semi-final 🇹🇷

Let’s go up, RAFA!!!

➡️ SILVA 🇧🇷 against DEGUCHI 🇨🇦

Today, starting at 11 a.m. 🇧🇷
📺 @sportv
📲 https://t.co/Qn8VmVhvpr pic.twitter.com/xdXmLuDW6s

— CBJ (@JudoCBJ) March 31, 2023

In the same category, Jessica Lima reached bronze after an excellent championship, being beaten by the Canadian in the semi-finals and in the fight for the medal, beating the German Seija Ballhaus with a waza-ari.

William Lima (-66kg) was the third Brazilian to reach the podium, beating Kazakh Gusman Kyrgyzbayev by excessive punishment in the fight for bronze. Willian lost in the quarterfinals and battled for the medals after beating Romania’s Lucian Dumitrescu in the repechage.

In the men’s 60kg category, Brazil ended up being eliminated with Ryan Conceição and Diego Ismael, the latter in the round of 16.

In the women’s 48kg category, Natasha Ferreira was beaten in the round of 16 and Amanda Lima lost to Israeli Shira Rishony in the quarterfinals and faced Uzbek’s Khalimajon Kubonova in the repechage. She won and went to the bronze contest, where she lost to Mongolian Baasankhuu Bavuudorj. At -52kg, Yasmim Lima lost in his first fight.

The tournament continues on Saturday with the finals starting at 11 a.m., broadcast by Sportv and Canal Olímpico do Brasil.