The Bulgarian Ivaylo Ivanov won a gold medal at the Marrakech Grand Prix 2019 in the 81 kg category.
The 24-year-old judoist has just defeated Vedat Albayrak from Turkey in the final match for the day, securing his second gold medal in the last 5 months, as Ivanov got the gold in Tel Aviv Grand Prix last November.
The final match started slowly, as both guys were figuring out their opponent’s tactic. Ivanov showcased some great defense and didn’t put himself in a bad position even for a second. The Bulgarian stayed focused and after a couple of unsuccessful throws, he finally managed to make a solid entry and he scored ippon with 58 seconds left on the clock.
This is Bulgaria’s second medal from Morocco, as Yanislav Gerchev landed with the bronze in the 60 kg category.