HOHHOT, China, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Canada, Japan and Kazakhstan judokas were among the winners on the first day of the 2018 International Judo Federation (IJF) Grand Prix here.

Olympic bronze medallist Ami Kondo from Japan topped the women's -48kg category in Friday's competition as Kondo's teammate Uta Abe had held down Chinese judoka Wu Shugen for 20 seconds and won the women's -52kg final. The gold medal of the women's -57kg contest went to Christa Deguchi, who standed for Canada.

Former world champion Yeldos Smetov from Kazakstan won an all-Kazakh final for his fourth Grand Prix gold in the men's -60kg category. Japan's Maruyama Joshiro won the men's -66kg contest.

The three-day event marked the official start of judo's qualification process for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.