The IBJJF Charleston Open 2023 took place across April 15th and 16th and several top competitors delivered exciting results throughout the weekend. The action was kicked off first by the gi divisions, and Pedro Machado won the absolute division in impressive fashion after being awarded a default gold medal in the heavyweight division as he had no opponents. Brenda Ariane actually had a similar experience in taking home two gold medals on the first day, as she won her match in the absolute division and was the only woman to enter the tournament at middleweight. Outside of that, the women’s divisions were pretty thin at the event and there were no female adult black belts competing in no gi the next day.
They weren’t the only people to come away with more than one gold medal though, as Marcio Pires won the ultra-heavyweight division both in the gi and in no gi the next day. Gabriel Sousa put on a fantastic performance in the gi at lightweight to win gold, staying active between major competitions. Andre Gois also won a very tough division at medium-heavyweight, where both Clay Mayfield and Bruno Lima occupied the third-place spot on the podium.
The medium-heavyweight division remained popular on the second day, and Gabriel Arges took home gold this time around. Although Mayfield occupied the third-place position on the podium once again, he finished the weekend very strongly in the absolute division. He defeated some tough opposition and ended up leaving with his first gold medal from the event for his efforts. All in all, the IBJJF Charleston Open 2023 was a successful event and there were plenty of great results at every belt level. It gave local competitors a chance to to get more experience and top grapplers had the ability to get a run-out before attending major events.
