It should be noted that during the day Khojazoda allowed himself to beat the reigning world champion, Nils Stump (SUI) who released his brand new red bib here in Budapest.
In Pool C, Lasha Shavdatuashvili (GEO), true to himself, started his day with a string of victories. It was first the turn of Magdiel Estrada (CUB), then of Igor Wandtke (GER), to feel Shavdatuashvili's law. The Georgian has won everything in his career from world championships and Olympic Games to continental championships, everything except the Masters. Today could therefore have been a great day for him but unfortunately Murodjon Yuldoshev (UZB) stood in his way and eliminated him in the quarter-finals.
Among the favourites still remained the turn of Tsogtbaatar Tsend-Ochir, the 2022 world champion but his competition ended in the first round against Soichi Hashimoto (JPN), who did not stop there, as he continued until the final where he found Behruzi Khojazoda.
Half way to the end, there were two shido apiece as both competitors were battling for the grip but were not able to create any powerful opportunities. In this tactical match, it was eventually Hashimoto who proved to be a bit more active, pushing Behruzi Khojazoda to be penalised a third time. The gold medal was Hashimoto’s. Maybe it wasn’t his best day but he led seriously through the competition to add a fourth Masters title to his impressive collection.
Petru Pelivan (MDA) and Murodjon Yuldoshev (UZB) faced off in the first match for a bronze medal. Pelivan and Yuldoshev both fought hard, neither willing to give up for the other. The time passed with close call after close call but nothing conclusive. Penalties came but they didn’t interrupt the flow. At the beginning of golden score, with two shido each, both came out with increased determination, Pelivan almost scoring with an o-uchi-gari but Yuldoshev unwilling to offer the necessary landing. Yuldoshev then increased the pressure and came close with an osoto-otoshi but it was still not enough.
There was then almost a hold down for the Uzbek but Pelivan quickly trapped his leg;, this contest not slowing for a second. 4 minutes and 45 seconds into golden score and the pace had stayed just as high throughout. At 5 minutes though, a false attack from Yuldoshev brought a third penalty and it must have felt like a harsh end to the contest but also it was to be expected after such a high energy medal match. Both were impressive.
Georgia offered itself a medal by qualifying its two athletes, Lasha Shavdatuashvili (GEO) and Giorgi Terashvili (GEO) for the match for the second bronze medal.
Shavdatuashvili scored a first waza-ari as the last minute of the match had already well begun, with a clever ashi-waza which he doubled a handful of seconds later, this time with sasae-tsuri-komi-ashi. The bronze medal was for Shavdatuashvili, not quite the gold he wished for but still, what a champion he is!
Final (-73 kg)
Bronze Medal Fights (-73 kg)
