Van Lieshout Falls Just Short as Europe Collects Day Two Podiums in Ulaanbaatar

Joanne Van Lieshout came closest to a European gold on day two of the Ulaanbaatar Grand Slam 2026, but the Dutch judoka had to settle for silver in the -63 kg category. Europe still added eight medals across the day, even if the top step stayed out of reach.

Van Lieshout’s final against Haruka Kaju brought together two major names in the weight class. For long stretches, the match stayed finely balanced, with neither athlete able to fully break the other’s rhythm.

The turning point came in ne-waza, where Kaju steadily increased the pressure. Van Lieshout avoided danger more than once and kept fighting in both groundwork and standing exchanges, but the contest slowly moved away from her.

Two Shido already made the situation difficult for the Dutch athlete. Then, with less than twenty seconds left, a third Shido ended her hopes of gold and confirmed silver instead. It also gave Kaju her fourth Grand Slam title and another gold for Japan in Mongolia.

Van Lieshout stayed in the fight until the final seconds.

The bronze medal matches in the category also carried real tension. In the first of them, Enkhriilen Lkhagvatogoo had the chance to deliver a home podium in front of the Mongolian crowd against Dali Liluashvili.

That contest remained tight and nervy before it was decided in golden score. Lkhagvatogoo picked up a third Shido, which handed the bronze medal to Liluashvili in a painful ending for the local supporters.

The second bronze medal contest had a strong European angle, with Sara-Joy Bauer of Germany facing Lubjana Piovesana of Austria. It turned into an active battle, featuring throwing attacks, ne-waza exchanges and repeated attempts to gain control on the ground.

Piovesana found the decisive score in ne-waza. Her Waza-ari on the ground secured the bronze medal and completed another European podium finish on a day when the continent kept showing depth, even without a gold medal.

Piovesana’s groundwork made the difference when it mattered most.

Day two in Ulaanbaatar may not have delivered a European title, but it still produced several moments of resistance, pressure and fine margins. Van Lieshout’s run to the final, Bauer’s all-European bronze contest and Piovesana’s composed finish on the ground all underlined how competitive the European team remained throughout the event.

For Europe, the headline was clear: eight more medals were added, and even without gold, the fight for the podium stayed intense from start to finish.

Source: EJU.net