For a while it seemed like World and Olympic Champion Rafaela Silva would be turning to MMA after she had lost her appeal for a doping ban. There were several news reports about that although nothing was ever confirmed. Turns out she is back into judo and how! She claimed the gld medal at the Grand Prix of Portugal in her weight category U57kg.
Her first return to the contest mat since the doping ban was at the 2021 Baku Grand Slam where she crashed out in the first round. There was no big clash with an old rival, Telma Monteiro who captured the bronze medal after she had lost to Dutch youngster Pleuni Cornelisse. The Dutch was the opponent of the experienced Silva who showed she came back strongly with a golden victory. Simply one size better than the talented Dutch with a left strong grip, followed by a powerful hip throw in the second minute of the contest.
Korean Park Eun-Song took the second bronze medal in this division by defeating her compatriot Kim Year-Yeong.
It was the seventh gold medal for Silva at Grand Prix level, she captured her first in 2011 in Düsseldorf at the age of 18. She excels at Grand Prixs as she only bagged one gold medal at a Grand Slam, in Baku in 2019.