Kou Nakayama (JPN) lacks experience but not heart or skill. He attempted to engage but Savytskiy had no intention of allowing the Japanese athlete to get down to work.
Closing the distance and gripping with commitment, the Ukrainian threw for iron in the first exchange adding yet another World Judo Tour gold medal to his prize list. Nakayama had a great first day on the Tour and has a silver medal to show for it.
In the first bronze medal contest, double world champion Jorge Fonseca (POR) was opposed by Robert Florentino (DOM) who gave him a much tougher fight than he expected. Close all the way through normal time, with only penalties being accumulated, absorbing a lot of mental energy for both to stay focused. In the end a third penalty was dispensed in Florentino’s direction and Fonseca could let out a sigh of relief; back on a podium at last.
Zsombor Veg (HUN) and Giovani Fereira (BRA) stepped on to the tatami to fight for the last medal of the category. From the very beginning of the contest Veg was the man taking the opportunities and within two and a half minutes he had amassed three yuko scores. However, with only 45 seconds to go he made a catastrophic mistake, coming back up from the floor voluntarily only to be thrown immediately for a waza-ari.
Fereira had capitalised on a lifeline that should never have been thrown to him. Both men had much to think about but but Fereira had taken his chance and earned the medal fair and square.
Final (-100 kg)
Bronze Medal Fights (-100 kg)
