Ukraine's Mochulskyi claims third straight World Games ju-jitsu title in Chengdu

CHENGDU, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine's Bohdan Mochulskyi secured a third consecutive ju-jitsu World Games gold medal in the men's 62kg fighting on Sunday, while South Korea earned its first two golds at the Chengdu Games through the women's Ne-Waza.

Top-ranked Mochulskyi defeated the Netherlands' Ecco Van der Veer 17-12 to complete a title hat-trick following his triumphs in 2017 and 2022.

South Korea's breakthrough came in the women's 52kg Ne-Waza, where Im Eon-ju upset world champion Jenna Napolis of the Philippines. Im's compatriot Sung Ki-ra added the second in the following women's 63kg Ne-Waza after beating Israel's Meshi Rosenfeld, the 2022 edition's 57kg champion who moved up a weight class.

"Winning [South] Korea's first gold here is an immense honor," Im said.

Kazakhstan's Abu-bakir Zhanibek delivered the day's most dramatic finish in the men's 69kg fighting. A flurry of aggressive strikes in the closing seconds sealed his 12-9 comeback victory over France's Farid Ben Ali.

Denmark's Lucas Andersen, the 2022 silver medalist in the men's 77kg fighting, launched another comeback win, turning the table around from trailing 8-1 to a 15-11 victory over Kazakhstan's Nursultan Duisenkulov.

Thailand's pair Warawut Saengsriruang and Lalita Yuennan took the mixed duo team open gold after denying Austria's Johannes Horak and Gernot Riegl, while Sweden's Astrid Scholin earned women's 57kg Ne-Waza title via judges' decision, defeating Canada's Felicia Marceau. ■