For each category, the final of the day is the pinnacle of the year, the ultimate moment to take the most important title on the annual calendar. Paralympic champions and world medallists from previous editions are pushing to extend their CVs but among the newcomers are some surprises for the old guard.
J1M -70 kg:
Paralympic champion Florin Alexandru Bologa (ROU) was up against Italy’s Dong Dong Capanni, the number 3 seed but the Italian could find no way to break through the dominating style of Bologa who threw him for ippon in just over a minute and a half. It was a superior perfromance from Bologa, earning him the world title to add to his Paralympic title.
GOLD - Florin Alexandru Bologa (ROU)
SILVER - Dong Dong Capanni (ITA)
BRONZE - Hyeonbin Kim (KOR)
BRONZE - Viktor Rudenko (NPA)
J1M -81 kg:
Georgia’s top seed in the group, Saba Bagdavadze won all contests by ippon to reach his final. There waiting for him was the number two seed Danilo Geronimo Silva (BRA), obeying the rankings perfectly. Bagdavadze continued to follow the script by throwing Silva for a waza-ari with seoi-otoshi and holding to conclude the contest on the floor. It was a gold medal and the world title for the powerful Georgian.
GOLD - Saba Bagdavadze (GEO)
SILVER - Danilo Geronimo Silva (BRA)
BRONZE - Yergali Shamey (KAZ)
BRONZE - Cyril Jonard (FRA)
J2M -70 kg:
In a category where the top seed was left out of the running, beaten by Davyd Khorava (UKR) and then Thiego Da Silva (BRA), the gold was there for the taking. Fourth seed Tetsuya Sakura (JPN) and second seed Giorgi Kaldani (GEO) stepped into the final to take advantage. Kaldani's ashi-waza unbalanced Sakura several times but he was able to recover. However, Kaldani was happy to change direction and at the halfway point in the contest he switched to a very low tai-otoshi and caight Sakura for ippon. Kaldani takes the 2025 IBSA world title.
GOLD - Giorgi Kaldani (GEO)
SILVER - Tetsuya Sakura (JPN)
BRONZE - Yujiro Seto (JPN)
BRONZE - Miles Soloman (GBR)
J2M -81 kg:
Evan Molloy of Great Britain was at the top of the draw at the beginning of the day but was defeated in round three by Bexultan Kulmurza (KAZ), who then made his way to the final to meet his home nation team mate Galymzhan Smagululy (KAZ). At first they cancelled each other out but as time went on and the threat of penalties loomed, Kulmurza opened up and launched himself under Smagululy with a driving seoi-otoshi for ippon and the championship title.
GOLD - Bexultan Kulmurza (KAZ)
SILVER - Galymzhan Smagululy (KAZ)
BRONZE - Evan Molloy (GBR)
BRONZE - Simone Cannizzaro (ITA)
J1W -52 kg:
Ecem Tasin Cavdar (TUR) knocked top seed Potapova (NPA) off the path to gold when they met in the semi-final stage. The Turkish judoka then faced Rosicleide De Andrade (BRA) in the last fight of the category. De Andrade was under pressure, neautralised by the pace and confidence of the Turkish judoka but a beautifully timed waza-ari from an o-uchi-gari split them in favour of the Brazilian. De Andrade won the gold and the world championship title.
GOLD - Rosicleide De Andrade (BRA)
SILVER - Ecem Tasin Cavdar (TUR)
BRONZE - Shizuka Hangai (JPN)
BRONZE - Victoria Potapova (NPA)
J2W -52 kg:
The very experienced French judoka Sandrine Aurieres Martinet moved through the category with relative ease to take her place in the final. Stood against her was the second seed, Alesia Stepaniuk (NPA), a tough competitor who throws and grapples equally well. It took Stepaniuk only a minute to display the upper hand as she held Martinet for ippon with kami-shiho-gatame.
GOLD - Alesia Stepaniuk (NPA)
SILVER - Sandrine Aurieres Martinet (FRA)
BRONZE - Aibike Ulanbek Kyzy (KGZ)
BRONZE - Cahide Eke (TUR)
J2W -60 kg:
In a category which followed the guidance of the rankings perfectly, Daria Stakanova (NPA) fought Hiroko Kudo (JPN) for gold. In the last contest of the category, Kudo couldn't hold off the barrage of attacks and finally succumbed to a fast combination. The gold was presented to Daria Stakanova.
GOLD - Daria Stakanova (NPA)
SILVER - Hiroko Kudo (JPN)
BRONZE - Junko Hirose (JPN)
BRONZE - Dayana Fedossova (KAZ)
Demonstration Events
J1M -64 kg:
Marcos Dennis Blanco of Venezuela made his way skilfully and with a determined style to the final of the category and there to meet him was Abdelkader Bouamer (ALG). It was a close contest but Blanco had the upper hand, out-attacking his opponent throughout.
With just over a minute to go, Bouamer stepped up a gear to apply pressure but the Venezuelan was ready for him and promptly attacked with o-uchi-gari to open up the space for his ippon seoi-nage which scored a yuko. He followed up with a pin for ippon in the dying seconds of the contest to take the title.
GOLD - Marcos Dennis Blanco (VEN)
SILVER - Abdelkader Bouamer (ALG)
BRONZE - Rushan Karimov (NPA)
BRONZE - Seb Sloot (NED)
J1W -46 kg:
This category was fought for the first time, as a test for the future. It was decided by round robin.
GOLD - Aminat Omarova (NPA)
SILVER - Ferdauza Ubarikova (KGZ)
BRONZE - Ainaz Kuralova (KAZ)
J2W -46 kg:
Pensiri Sumon (THA) overcame her challenge from Shanaz Akhter IND) for a single gold medal. This title was heading to Thailand.
GOLD - Pensiri Sumon (THA)
Day two begins at 10am local time on Wednesday 14th May, with all remaining individual categorys. Watch the live action on the IBSA Judo YouTube channel.
All photos courtesy of Arlan Olzhabay, Kazakhstan Para Judo Federation.