World Champion Bianca Walkden recorded another career-first after claiming gold for GB Taekwondo on day one of the Moscow World Grand Prix.
Fresh from claiming her second successive world title in June, Walkden dropped just 14 points en route to the final, thrashing Korean Open champion Lee Da-Bin 21-6 in the semi-final.
The Liverpudlian dominated South Korea’s Kim Bich-Na, winning the +67kg gold-medal match 14-0 to secure her sixth Grand Prix medal.
“It’s my first time winning the Grand Prix Top 32, so that’s another one ticked off – I am so happy,” Walkden said.
The event is the first of four 2017 Grand Prix competitions, London will host the third round in October before the final in the Ivory Coast, in December.
In Moscow, GB team-mates Lauren Williams and Mahama Cho reached the quarter-final of the -67kg and +80kg categories respectively.
Cho, who won silver at the World Championships in Muju, South Korea, looked promising after beating current champion of the Luxemburg and New Zealand Opens Jonathan Healy, 13-3.
But the 27-year-old lost out in the quarter-finals after battling hard against experienced Croatian Vedran Golec, losing narrowly 15-13.
Current European and double junior world champion Williams had an extremely close quarter-final fight against Hyeri Oh, but was disqualified after ten red cards.
On Saturday, two members of GB Taekwondo will take to the mats in Moscow as Max Cater and Damon Sansum look to add to the medal haul in the -58kg and -80kg competitions.
Sportsbeat 2017