Elsewhere, the quarter-final between Abuzhakynova (KAZ) and Koga (JPN) was not a foregone conclusion, despite Koga’s 2-yuko lead. Her lead was not safe as each judoka also had 2 penalties on the board and Koga didn’t respond to that well enough. She was penalised a third time, for a clear false attack, sending the Kazakh to the semi-final.
Babulfath looked confident but attacked with a poorly prepared o-uchi-gari and Martinez Abelenda (ESP) countered it, slowly, but it landed and a waza-ari was given, one which the young Swede could not equalise. In the repechage she was thrown in the first exchange by Wakana Koga, an osoto-otoshi. No matter how hard she tried, she could not get it back. Koga took the win and although it went to full time, she looked unfazed by the Swedish star.
In the semi-final, Abiba Abuzhakynova faced the Spanish judoka and both were somewhat cagey, leading to an accumulation of penalties. Abuzhakynova won it though, more committed, more purposeful throughout the contest and she accepted the result emotionally, ahead of a final she would fight against Assunta Scutto.
Scutto had a great preliminary session! Yes, she arrived as the favourite but nothing was set in stone. Below her on the draw were some well prepared athletes, also in Hungary for a medal. In her quarter-final she faced Lin (TPE) who had dispatched young Hungarian Szabina Szeleczki. This might not be of note usually but the Hungarian teenager had put Perez Soler (ESP) and the highly decorated Costa (POR) out of the tournament in rounds one and two.
Scutto’s semi-final lasted just a minute, one single minute. It’s not often that Shrine Boukli (FRA), an Olympic and world medallist, is on the rough end of anyone’s throwing attempts but Scutto caught her just perfectly, launching her with an enormous ippon seoi-nage for ippon. Boukli would be fighting for bronze.
Final
Assunta Scutto (ITA) vs Abba Abuzhakynova (KAZ)
Bronze medal contests
Sabina Giliazova (IJF) vs Laura Martinez Abelenda (ESP)
Wakana Koga (JPN) vs Shirine Boukli (FRA)