Egypt's Seif Eissa and Olympic silver medalist Hedaya Malak both claimed two silver medals at the 2016 WTF World Taekwondo Grand Prix Final. Gold medals went to Great Britain, Iran and South Korea. Silver went to fighters from Egypt, Russia, China and Belgium. Two bronze medals were won by Russia, and one each by South Korea and the US. And on a special note, the final match of the category saw what may be seen, in the fullness of time, as one of the great all-time taekwondo matches. The final day of the two-day event at the Sarhadchi Olympic Sports Complex in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, saw two male and two female Olympic weight categories being contested. The Grand Prix final pitted 118 athletes from 41 nations against each other for medals, prize money and early ranking points ahead of the 2017 fighting season. The overall winners of the 2016 Grand Prix Final were Great Britain in first place, South Korea in second place, and Iran and Azerbaijan tied for third. The women's under 57kg was the most thrilling of the events. In the first semi-final of the contest, Jade “The Headhunter” Jones of Great Britain demolished an overmatched Ah-Reum Lee of South Korea, 12-0, with a mixture of technique, conditioning and shear venom. Hedaya Malak of Egypt took out Rachelle Booth of Great Britain in a well-matched fight that ended 3-1 to Malak. This meant it would be Jones and Malak for the gold. Round one started with movement, kicks and war cries as both fighters commenced at a fast tempo, though Jones, who claimed the gold medal of the Olympic Games in Rio in August, looked meaner and more aggressive, dropping Malak to the deck with both an ax kick and a back kick. Though neither kick scored, Jones picked up a point for Malak's two falls, ending the round 1-0. In the second, Jones piled on the pressure, forcing Malak off the mats and trying to score with kicks up-close, but Malak covered well. After a head-kick appeal by Jones' coach failed, Malak took a more aggressive approach: The two engaged in messy flurries as they battled to control the centre of the mats. In the dying seconds of the round, Jones landed a tight, in-close spinning back kick that lifted her score 4-0. In the final round, Malak came out attacking strongly, but Jones was having none of it and returned fire with venom. Jones kept trying her famed head kick while pushing back against all pressure from the Egyptian. The Briton's conditioning and work rate were phenomenal; Malak was simply unable to penetrate through Jone's constant bombardment. An ax kick shook Malak, which Jones followed by a spinning kick. Then it was over: A formidable, 7-0 victory to “The Headhunter” who has taken her first, formidable step on the path to Tokyo 2020. Malak's silver, though, was well deserved. In a contentious bronze match marked by kick blocking and close-ranges clashes, Lee – perhaps thirsty for revenge after her drubbing at the feat of Jones – beat Jones' team-mate Booth, 4-2, for the medal. A day before, Seif Eissa snatched the silver medal of the under 80kg weight category. The 17-year-old Eissa blew the surprise when he reached the final match against Azerbaijan's Milad Beigi Harchegani. There was everything to fight for in the male 80kg category: Neither the Olympic gold medalist nor the silver medalist was fighting. The final pitched Harchegani, one of the highest scoring fighters on the face of the planet. In the semis, Harchegani had dispatched Rene Lizarrage of Mexico 18-0, winning in the second round on point difference to play against Eissa who had earlier beaten Russia's Albert Gaun, 7-5. With both lads being tall and long-legged, feet flew from the outset. The super-scoring Azeri did not have his customary height advantage but exhibited masterly ring craft, maneuvering the Egyptian backward and firing kicks from extraordinary angles. He was not getting points but the crowd was loving it every time his leg left the mats. In a flurry, Harchegani went one point up, which ended the round. It had appeared that he was not going to get things all his own way, as he had for most of the day, but he looked more relaxed in the second round, firing sky-high ax kicks and round kicks in a display of picture-perfect form. Then, in a clinch, he scored with a crescent kick to the head, igniting the crowd as he went 4-0 up, then 5-0 up. The referee did well to keep the action under control as the Azeri forced the Egyptian to the edge of the mat and unleashed an explosive flurry of ax and round kicks. The Egyptian ducked under, trying desperately to take cover from the storm. Slow-motion replay showed the dexterity and beauty of the Azeri's play, such as unleashing a perfectly vertical ax kick then firing a round kick – without dropping his foot. Harchegani had found the range, ending the second round 9-0 up. Still, the Egyptian prodigy Eissa was full of fight. In the third, he came out with a jumping ax kick that did not land. The Azeri's defensive skill was now on show as, with control and composure, he ducked away from a spinning heel kick. Then he landed yet another head shot to win gold by a 12-point gap. In the person of Harchegani, pinpoint accuracy, superb technique and inhuman flexibility are married to a perfect physique. He is most definitely a man to watch, though his speed is such that slo-mo replays are essential to appreciate his excellence. Kudos also must go to Eissa, who took silver, for withstanding the onslaught for so long. Two years ago, Eissa, who plays for the Egyptian Shooting Club, was bronze medalist at the Youth Olympic Games which was held in Nanjing, China, in 2014.
