After opening his campaign with a convincing ippon victory over Alex Cret (ROU), Bekauri faced a far sterner challenge in Davlat Bobonov (UZB). The name carries weight: an Olympic medallist in Tokyo and world champion in 2022 in his home city of Tashkent. Their contest lived up to expectations, intense, physical and finely balanced throughout. The exchanges were fierce, neither athlete willing to concede ground. In the end, it was Bekauri who found the decisive moment, prevailing in what was undoubtedly one of the standout bouts of the day.
The Georgian did not slow down. He went on to defeat Jonghoon Kim (KOR) and Riku Okada (JPN), booking his place in yet another grand slam final and confirming his status as one of the division’s defining figures.
In the lower half of the draw, Theodoros Tselidis (GRE), another Olympic medallist, in Paris in 2024, progressed with his distinctive style, always seemingly on the edge, yet repeatedly finding solutions. His run carried him into the semi-finals but there his momentum was halted by Murad Fatiyev (AZE), who imposed his rhythm and secured a place in the final opposite Bekauri.
The gold medal contest promised a compelling clash between Bekauri’s explosive creativity and Fatiyev’s tactical discipline. At the halfway point, only Bekauri had been penalised for passivity. In a confused exchange, Fatiyev seized his opportunity, guiding his opponent to the mat cleverly to score waza-ari. He extended his lead with an additional yuko, placing the Georgian under real pressure. Bekauri pushed forward relentlessly in the closing stages but Fatiyev managed the contest intelligently and held on to secure the gold medal in a result that surprised many observers.
In the first bronze medal contest, Kim faced Tselidis, both determined to recover from semi-final disappointment and leave Tashkent with a medal. Kim struck first with a trademark reverse seoi-otoshi for a yuko. Before the end of the contest, he doubled his advantage, confirming his second grand slam medal.
The second bronze medal match saw Astemir Abazov (RUS) meet Okada, each stepping up to take one final opportunity to reach the podium. It took golden score to separate them, Okada eventually scoring a yuko with a well-timed o-uchi-gari to claim the bronze medal in a category that delivered intensity from start to finish.
Final (-90 kg)
Bronze Medal Fights (-90 kg)
