In the -66 kg final Saigid Kerimov (RUS) and Abdurakhim Nutfulloev (UZB) fought it out. The latter earned a score a little before half time, a yuko. Kerimov tried to apply pressure but Nutfulloev anticipated all attacks and moved well to stay out of danger. He had done enough to claim the gold.
After the -66 kg final, Abdurakhim Nutfulloev dedicated his win to his parents, “I want my parents to be proud of me and I am glad that the Uzbek flag will be raised today because of me. After this grand slam in Astana, I will have a training camp in Spain. Then comes the Qingdao Grand Prix to collect world ranking points for the Olympics.”
Anvarjon Ibrohimov (UZB) fought Nurkanet Serikbayev (KAZ) for third place and it was the former, against the wishes of the spectators, who opened the scoreline by catching Serikbayev for a yuko with ko-uchi-gake. From that point on the two attacked and defended relentlessly, spinning, turning and resisting at full pelt.
No matter how loudly the crowd cheered or how hard Serikbayev tried, he could not close the gap and so Ibrohimov secured his place on the podium.
In the second bronze medal contest Ramazan Abdulaev (RUS) would also have to face the crowd, just as Ibrohimov did. Akylzhan Zhubatkanov (KAZ) was keen to make sureat least one Kazakh flag hung over the podium but Abdulaev’s slick ne-waza blocked his path.
Abdulaev secured a well planned osaekomi in the first seconds of the contest and it looked to be all over but an immense effort saw Zhubatkanov escape just before the ippon appeared on the board. In the last minute of normal time though, Abdulaev did it again and this time could not be moved. He held for a new ten seconds to earn a second waza-ari; the bronze was his.
Final (-66 kg)
Bronze Medal Fights (-66 kg)
