Zagreb:Taipei Yang Yung-wei, Taiwan's Olympic medalist, has triumphed in the men's 60-kilogram judo category at the Zagreb Grand Prix in Croatia. He claimed victory after a tightly contested final against Kazakhstan's Aman Bakytzhan, lasting over 11 minutes on Friday.

According to Focus Taiwan, Yang, who was seeded second, initially fell behind when Bakytzhan scored a waza-ari. However, he managed to equalize with an ouchi-gari before regulation time ended. The match extended into a golden score period, where Yang secured the gold medal after more than seven minutes by forcing his opponent into receiving a third penalty.

Yang's latest accomplishment marks his first gold medal in a year, following his previous victory at the Judo Oceania Open Gold Coast in November 2025. His coach, Liu Wen-teng, noted that Yang faced significant pressure at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan, where he did not reach the podium due to physical fatigue despite a strong performance at the world championships.

Liu emphasized that pre-tournament preparations, including acclimatizing to the Zagreb weather and attending a training camp, were crucial for Yang's success. The victory is seen as a confidence booster for Yang as he seeks to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. He is scheduled to compete in the Tokyo Grand Slam and the Dushanbe World Judo Masters next month.

In related news, Taiwanese judoka Lin Chong-you earned his first Grand Prix podium finish by defeating Italy's Valerio Accogli for a bronze medal in the men's 66kg category. Lin, who gained recognition as the first Taiwanese judoka to win gold at the World Judo Cadets Championships, has moved up to the 66kg division, marking a significant career milestone with his bronze medal win in Zagreb. The tournament in Croatia is set to conclude on November 15.