At the very top of the draw, world number three Ruslan Pashayev (AZE), a bronze medallist in Paris and the category winner in Austria earlier this season, had a great opportunity to strengthen his position on the World Ranking List.
Everything went according to plan until the quarter-final, where he encountered the impressive Ramazan Abdulaev (RUS), whose mastery in ne-waza proved decisive. Indeed, the Russian judoka reached this stage of the competition having won all of his contests on the ground, whether by armlock or hold-down. It was another reminder that ne-waza remains a fundamental element of judo. Even when trailing on the scoreboard, Abdulaev always found the resources and technical solutions necessary to turn the situation around.
Carrying that momentum into the semi-final, he overcame David Garcia Torne (ESP), who until then had looked almost untouchable during the morning session.
On the opposite half of the draw, world number four Takeshi Takeoka (JPN) confirmed his status as one of the favourites. He put together a series of convincing victories, including a semi-final win over Nizami Imranov (AZE). Throughout the day, Japan once again demonstrated that this first Olympic qualification tournament was a milestone they had no intention of missing on the road to Los Angeles 2028.
The final therefore brought together two athletes in outstanding form: Ramazan Abdulaev (RUS) and Takeshi Takeoka (JPN). Firmly planted on his feet and perfectly in control of his movement, Takeoka was the first to make a difference, using a perfectly timed kata-guruma that caught Abdulaev by surprise. At no moment did the Russian judoka appear capable of turning the tide or even creating the conditions for a truly dangerous attack. With great tactical maturity, the reigning world champion Takeshi Takeoka secured the gold medal comfortably.
Takeshi Takeoka said, "Heading towards my first Olympics, I know international opponents have researched my style, so I must continuously grow and defeat them one by one. This is especially true for the Baku World Championships; since I won last year and now wear the red backnumber. Everyone is targeting me, so my main goal is to secure a second consecutive world title. In today's final, I wanted to fully showcase my greatest strength, constantly stepping forward and staying on the attack. Ultimately, the biggest factor in my victory was winning that mental battle, refusing to lose to myself and keeping my determination strong."
Yolk Kazirbyek (MGL) and Nizami Imranov (AZE) faced each other for the first bronze medal of the category, offering another opportunity for the host nation to reach the podium. Despite his determination and the support of the home crowd, Kazirbyek was unable to find the key against Imranov, who controlled the contest to claim the bronze medal.
Channyeong Kim (KOR) and David Garcia Torne (ESP) still had one final opportunity to climb onto the podium in the contest for the second bronze medal. It proved to be a highly tactical contest, eventually won by Kim, who seized a very small opening to score a yuko with a quick arm action following an unsuccessful attack from Garcia Torne.
Final (-66 kg)
Bronze Medal Fights (-66 kg)
