Things did not quite go to plan, Bekauri succumbing to an armlock at the hands of 2017 world champion Nemanja Majdov; that was the first semi-final. Maisuradze upheld his end of the bargain and dealt with Alex Cret in their fight for a place in the final.
In order to hang a second Georgian flag above the podium, Bekauri had to pass Paris 2024 Olympic medallist Maxime-Gael Ngayap-Hambou but that wasn’t to be either. The Frenchman, totally focused and technically prepared, came out ready to dismantle Bekauri’s gripping. He threw twice for waza-ari and placed himself on the senior European championship podium for the second time in as many years. Bekauri was out!
Maisuradze won the gold medal and so the yo-yo of supremacy at -90 kg in Georgia continues. Today, Luka Maisuradze is on top!
At -70 kg, humble Hungarian Szofi Ozbas came through all challenges unscathed. She took the title ahead of double junior world champion Melkia Auchecorne, who claimed her first senior continental medal with this silver. The number one seed, Lara Cvjetko lost for bronze, 20-year-old April Lynn Fohouo having the upper hand in the final block match-up.
The third and final category of the day saw a stacked -81 kg men’s draw unfold and it was not straightforward. The most impressive performance came from eventual champion Timur Arbuzov (RUS) who took Tato Gigalashvili apart in the final; three throws in three exchanges placed one of each score on the board. Tato had no answer.
Another performance of note came from 21-year-old Mihajlo Simin (SRB). He beat Fasching (AUT) and Casse (BEL) en route to the semi-final, where he took a loss against Arbuzov, but in his bronze medal contest he stretched ahead of Eetu Ihanamaki, who had a great morning session himself, showing that Finnish judo is continuing to rise. The four medallists were Arbuzov, Grigalashvili, Tckaev (AZE) and Simin.
Day four’s action can be found online via JudoTV.com.