On June 28, 2026, Slovenian judoka Metka Lobnik secured a bronze medal at the Grand Slam tournament held in Qingdao, China. Competing in the women's under-78 kg category, Lobnik faced Brazilian athlete Beatriz Freitas in the decisive match for the podium. The encounter marked their fourth meeting in her career, with Lobnik having previously triumphed over Freitas last year at the Linz competition. Despite being behind after a point deduction, Lobnik managed to turn the tide with a well-timed move just before the end of the bout, securing her victory via ippon—a full-point technique in judo.
Lobnik’s journey to the bronze medal was not without challenges. She began her day with an ippon win against Uzbekistan’s Marjona Kuchimova. Following this, she faced North Korean competitor Won Hui Jang, whom she eventually defeated with a yoko—another scoring technique. In the quarterfinals, she faced Japan’s Mizuki Sugimura, who had made it all the way to the final before falling to Germany’s Anna Monta Olek. Lobnik then successfully passed her repechage round, defeating Romania’s Maidelines Gorguet-Veranes with another ippon. Finally, she claimed the bronze medal by defeating the runner-up from this year’s Pan American Championships, also via ippon.
The competition was particularly challenging for Lobnik, as each opponent presented a unique style of fighting. “Today, none of the matches were easy,” she remarked afterward. “Every competitor had a completely different approach, and I really had to prepare specifically for each one. In the end, I was rewarded with the medal.”
Lobnik, currently ranked fifth on the world list, has been performing consistently well since winning silver at the European Championships in Tbilisi earlier this year. Her performance in Qingdao further solidified her position as a top contender in international judo competitions. According to national team coach Gregor Brod, Lobnik’s recent results indicate that she is not yet in peak form but is showing strong potential. He emphasized the importance of maintaining a balanced schedule ahead of the Olympic qualification process, which is set to begin soon. After her success in Qingdao, Lobnik will take a deserved break before participating in the Mediterranean Games and preparing for the World Championships later in the year.
In addition to Lobnik’s achievements, other Slovenian athletes also participated in the tournament. Kaja Schuster, returning from long-term health issues, benefited from favorable draw placements and advanced through the early rounds. However, she was ultimately stopped by Croatian judoka Lara Cvjetko, who won gold in the under-70 kg category. Nika Koren suffered an early defeat in her first match. In the men’s category, experienced judoka David Štarkel performed well, reaching the semifinals before losing to Russian judoka Ajub Blijev. Another notable performance came from Nace Herkovič in the under-81 kg category, where he reached the quarterfinals before narrowly missing out on advancing further.
The Grand Slam in Qingdao is part of a series of high-level tournaments scheduled throughout the summer. The next major event will take place in Lima in two weeks, although there are no confirmed Slovenian entries for that competition. Slovenian athletes are expected to participate in the upcoming tournament in Budapest in September, which will serve as a preparatory event for the October World Championships in Azerbaijan. This series of competitions provides crucial opportunities for athletes to gain experience and secure spots in future international events, including the Olympics.
5 reports
VečerIndependent🔒Center5 days agoJudoistka Metka Lobnik je na Grand Slamu v Qingdau v Kitajsi osvojila bronasto medaljo v kategoriji do 78 kg. V odločilni tekmi je z iponom ugnala brazilsko tekmovalko Beatriz Freitas, s katero je srečala četrtič v karieri. Lobnik je poudarila, da je z Brazilko zelo težko boriti, ker je levičarka, in da je v borbi zaslužila prednost. Tekmovalka je tudi opisala svojo strategijo in uspešno izvedla napadalni judo. Reprezentančni trener Gregor Brod je ocenil njeno predstavitve kot dobro, a opozoril na potrebo po pozornosti zaradi kvalifikacij za olimpijske igre. Drugi tekmovalci, kot so Kaja Schuster in David Štarkel, so tudi dosegli uspešne rezultate.
Bias read (Center): Artikel obravnava sportsko dogodkovno poročilo brez političnega stališča ali polemike. Poudarek je na tekmovalčevih postopkih in rezultatih, brez kritike ali podpore k določenemu političnemu smerniku. Stališča so izražena iz perspektive tekmovalcev in trenerjev, kar ne predstavlja političnega stališ
RTV Slovenija (MMC)State / PublicCenter6 days agoJudoistka Metka Lobnik je na grand slamu v Šingdau v Kitajski osvojila bronasto kolajno v kategoriji do 78 kg. V odločilni tekmi je z iponom ugnala Brazilko Beatriz Freitas. Lobnik je v tekmi pokazala napadalni judo in uspela zmagati, kljub zaostanku, ki je dosegla po vazariju. V drugih kategorijah so nastopile tudi druge slovenske judoistke, kot so Kaja Schuster, Nika Koren in Nace Herkovič, ki so imeli mešane rezultate.
Bias read (Center): The article covers a sports event, specifically a judo competition, which is inherently non-political. The content focuses solely on the athletic performance and results of Slovenian athletes without any political commentary, framing, or bias.
DnevnikIndependent🔒Center6 days agoJudo athlete Metka Lobnik won a bronze medal at the Grand Slam event in Qingdao, China, in the women's -78 kg category. In the final, she defeated Brazilian judoka Beatriz Freitas with an ippon after being behind in the match. This was her fourth encounter with Freitas, who had previously beaten her at last year's bronze medal match in Linz. Lobnik described the match as challenging due to Freitas' left-handed style but managed to turn things around by adopting an aggressive approach. She also secured victories against Uzbekistan's Marjona Kucimova and North Korea's Won Hui Jang before reaching the final. The win marks a successful recovery for Lobnik, who had previously won a bronze at this year's European Championships in Tbilisi. Coach Gregor Brod expressed satisfaction with her performance and emphasized the importance of maintaining focus ahead of the Olympic qualification process.
Bias read (Center): The article focuses solely on a sports competition and does not involve any political issues, figures, or policies. It provides a balanced account of the judo match results and athlete quotes without showing any ideological bias.
Maribor24IndependentCenter6 days agoJudo athlete Metka Lobnik won a bronze medal at the Grand Slam event in Qingdao, China, in the women's under-78 kg category after defeating Brazilian competitor Beatriz Freitas. This was their fourth meeting, with Lobnik emerging victorious again despite initially falling behind. She described the match as challenging due to Freitas' left-handed style but managed to secure the win with a throw. Lobnik had previously won a bronze medal at last year's European Championships in Tbilisi and has been ranked fifth in the world. Her performance included victories over Uzbekistan's Marjona Kuchimova and North Korea's Won Hui Jang, with some matches decided by throws. The victory comes as she prepares for Olympic qualification tournaments.
Bias read (Center): The article focuses solely on a sports competition and does not involve any political figures, policies, or contentious issues. It provides a straightforward account of the judo match results and athlete quotes without any apparent bias or framing that suggests a political stance.
Siol.netState / PublicCenter6 days agoJudo athlete Metka Lobnik won a bronze medal at the Grand Slam event in Qingdao, China, in the women's under-78 kg category. In the final, she defeated Brazilian judoka Beatriz Freitas using an ippon. This was their fourth encounter, with Lobnik emerging victorious again after previously winning bronze in Linz last year. Lobnik faced challenges during the match, including being behind in points, but managed to secure the win through aggressive techniques. She also successfully passed her recovery test and advanced through various rounds, defeating opponents such as Uzbekistan's Marjona Kuchimova and North Korea's Won Hui Jang. The article highlights Lobnik's performance and mentions her current ranking fifth in the world. Coach Gregor Brod expressed satisfaction with her performance and outlined future plans, including preparations for the Olympics and upcoming competitions. Other Slovenian athletes like Kaja Schuster and David Štarkel also participated, with mixed results.
Bias read (Center): The article focuses solely on sports competition outcomes and athlete performances without any political commentary, framing, or bias. It provides factual information about the judo matches and does not take a stance on political issues.
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