“I want to thank the Tajik federation for very good organisation. I’m very happy when I see the spectators arriving in such great numbers and in good voice. They arrived so early today and they appreciate judo, respecting fair play throughout. For all coaches, this kind of environment promotes good energy ready for them to work at the best level with their athletes.
When we began today’s competition, the athletes’ pace was low. We mustn’t forget that the continental championships just finished and also some of the top athletes are missing so many newer judoka are getting some experience here. No-one wants to take a risk and we can feel that on the tatami. Everyone here wants points towards Olympic qualification and for many it is a last chance to break into the green zone. This competition brings pressure for the athletes for all these reasons.
At -73 kg, the Tajik fighter Sherov is a very strong athlete, his loss against the current world champion not detracting from that in any way. It is great to see Nils Stump looking dominant from the beginning of the day, with a confident attitude and good judo throughout.
Khojazoda (TJK) was hard-working in all his contests and he won using all his experience. At the age of 29 he brings something different from the young ones around him. Although the more experienced athletes don’t always win, we can see that they are able to employ many years of learning when they compete. Stump and Khojazoda together offered a masterclass in both offensive and defensive kumi-kata in their final. It was an all-action contest, both athletes aiming to throw and this is exactly what we want, it’s what we want to teach.
At -63 kg, the Mexican, Prisca Awiti-Alcaraz was so strong. I’ve always seen her in different events and so often finding her way into the last 8. She did it again today with good focus, expertly employed tomoe-nage attacks and a positive manner. It was unfortunate that had to withdraw in the repechage but again she made the top 8 showing her ability at a high level.
Liluashvili (AIN) was very calm, finding wins in a methodical and mature way. Belkadi also fought very well today after her continental gold just last week. She arrived in Dushanbe with an intelligent strategy and used it well right the way to the podium, a proud moment for Algeria. She really does have this last chance for the Olympic Games and a strong performance at just the right time assist her campaign perfectly. Having African representation in the medal ceremony is also great for judo, showing universality and diversity within the sport.
In the -81 kg category, Boltaboev (UZB) was great to watch early in the day. It was a shame that he couldn’t keep his focus. Cavelius (GER) also showed great skill, indicating the possibility of a big future ahead. Even at 27, there is still time to improve and win big medals.
Kazakh Zhubanazar lost against the Japanese but he showed great heart. The Japanese was a surprise for me really, not among the big names but very intelligent in how he worked and although not currently a star at this level, he came through against very tough opposition and attacked in all directions to make him a dangerous competitor.
The -70 kg category was dominated by Austrian Olympic and world medallist Polleres and this came as no surprise at all. She delivered ippon judo in every round, proving the value of the experience she has gathered.
Lara Cvjetko (CRO) moved into yet another final with Oberan taking bronze in the weight below. Now we expect high quality contests from the Croatian middleweight women and we are rarely let down. There is consistency in performance and results.
As the rounds progressed so did the pace and intensity and this promised a great final block which is exactly what we witnessed.