Budapest, June 19 -- Italy's Olympic champion Alice Bellandi lived up to expectations by winning the women's 78kg gold medal in a grueling final on the sixth day of the World Judo Championships.
In the final against 22-year-old German rookie Anna Monta Olek, Bellandi scored no positive points, leaving the match tied 2-2 at the end of regulation, with both athletes having received two penalties.
In a tense golden score period, nearly six minutes passed before Bellandi executed a counter for a yuko to seal the victory on Wednesday.
"In my mind, every time, what I saw was 'Olympic champion is out, world champion is out'. This was a challenge for me. But aside from this, you just need to be happy in what you're doing, and the rest is just...