Yuhei Oino (JPN) and Gadzhimurad Omarov (UAE) put their hands in the air, volunteering to take on the mantle They shared a fiercely fought final which remained shido-free until the very end. Both worked positively, hunting scores, always engaging in the kumi-kata productively.
It took until just 4 seconds before the end though for a score to appear on the board. Oino attacked and drove his opponent backwards with a beautifully placed o-uchi-gari, his first grand slam gold secured. This is Japan’s 5th gold medal of the tournament.
Gadzhidavud Gasanov (BRN) put in a great performance in Ulaanbaatar but the bronze medal contest was a step too far. Adam Tsechoev (IJF) flowed through the day with confidence and exciting judo and that was consistent all the way to the podium. He threw his opponent with a reaching makikomi for waza-ari and no matter how hard Gasanov chased, he couldn’t equalise.
In the second bronze medal contest, a very well prepared Gerbekov (BRN) arrived to win himself a medal on the World Judo Tour. He had just seen his teammate lose and was determined not to do the same. Gerbekov’s judo intelligence shone through in the contest; he countered Svidrak (UKR) twice and was able to defend well in ne-waza. He used the time and space available perfectly and was in control throughout. It was a great fight, ultimately leading to Gerbekov’s 4th grand slam medal.
Final (-81 kg)
Bronze Medal Fights (-81 kg)
