There will be two candidates from the small country but huge judo nation. We start with Luka Maisuradze, European champion, a tournament in which he flew over the rest from start to finish, found no rival at his level and gave us one of the most authentic smiles on the circuit for a job well done. He is a born competitor, tough, demanding, like everything that comes from Georgia. What comes next is precisely pure dynamite.
We have had to wait for more than a year to see Lasha Bekauri in action. The Tokyo Olympic champion has been absent from the World Judo Tour and only reappeared a few weeks ago at a European Cup to test his fitness and condition. Of course he won. Bekauri is a genius, the best in the category. His absence has created enormous chaos that many have not been able to take advantage of; others have. For example, the Azerbaijani Mammadali Mehdiyev has worked his way up to the second position in the world ranking. As for the Uzbek Davlat Bobonov, he is the new leader in the ranking. Others, on the other hand, have slipped downhill, such as the Cuban Iván Felipe Silva Morales. Bekauri's presence changes everything and since Maisuradze is also a fabulous judoka, presumably everyone else is commending themselves to their particular beliefs so that the Tashkent draw will go their way. That aspect, that of the draw, will also be crucial because Bekauri hasn't competed, is 10th in the ranking and may face one of the above too soon for their liking.
There was an unknown that could have burst the forecasts. We are talking about Sanshiro Murao, pure rock and roll on the tatami, a gift for the eyes, but the Japanese delegation has preferred to take Kosuke Mashiyama and they will have their reasons. In any case, the Japanese candidate will be crucial in this category.
Due to age, style, technique and talent, Bekauri, Maisuradze and maybe Mashiyama are called to be the banners of an explosive weight in which the generation of veterans no longer has much to say. These three will set the pace of the tournament and the proof that they are not afraid and they are the present, is that they accept their status as favourites with a smile. As for the veterans, if they want to spoil the party for the youngsters, it will have to be out of pride, to show that respect for the past is not something trivial and that you can be young and a champion but you cannot be without the presence of the elderly.
Bekauri is the star on the posters, Maisuradze is Georgia's plan B and ideally for them they would not meet before the final. Mashiyama is Japan's bet and is capable of taking everyone ahead on a good day. The others, all the others, are wisdom and patience. Perhaps, after all, the name of this weight should be that, the universal cocktail or everyone's wall.