Massive throws and impressive pace flavoured all categories, for both J1 (blind) and J2 (visually impaired) athletes, throughout the morning session. With dynamism at the heart of the action, the final block promised to be a spectacle.
Highlights from the final block
In the J1W -52 kg category, Alfiya Tlekkabyl (KAZ) and Fatima Toirova (UZB) contested the final, a true battle of ashi-waza. Toirova used de-ashi-barai and ko-uchi-gari readily, combining them with seoi-otoshi to break up the rhythm and change direction. Tlekkabyl was not without tokui-waza though, responding with far-reaching o-uchi-gari attacks that disturbed her opponent but did not score, at least initially. Toirova led with a yuko from the first exchange and it looked to be a done deal but as the final minute approached, Tlekkabyl, re-energised by her home crowd, increased the pressure and almost won with a juji-gatame. When it didn’t work, she applied her strongest o-uchi-gari yet and managed to score a decisive waza-ari. The first gold medal of the event was assigned to a proud home team, Kazakhstan.
Aibike Ulanbek Kyzy (KGZ) took the J1W -52 kg category by storm. Her style is explosive and unrelenting, a non-stop barrage of attacks that proved to be too much for eventual silver medallist Kokila (IND).
The J1M -81 kg bronze medal contests were impressive too, with Mahdi Borchlou (IRI) holding his opponent to convert an immediate waza-ari throw into ippon, a win inside 15 seconds. On the adjacent tatami Arstanbekov (KAZ) stunned Japan’s Kato with a lightning fast tomoe-nage right off the mark. It scored waza-ari giving the home athlete quite a lead. Kato managed to claw a yuko back but it wasn’t enough. In the final of the group, Shamey (KAZ) kept the crowd on the edge of their seats. He was winning by waza-ari but was being chased hard and had two yuko scores logged against him. It was tough to hold the lead but on the bell he doubled it with a second waza-ari, earning another gold medal for Kazakhstan.
With so many high-level, exciting contests on day 1, day 2 is eagerly awaited. The heavier categories will begin at 11am local time on day 2, Saturday 8th November. Check the IJF and IBSA websites for final results.
Results
J1W -52 kg:
Gold - Alfiya Tlekkabyl (KAZ)
Silver - Fatima Toirova (UZB)
Bronze - Novia Larassati (INA)
Bronze - Suvd-Erdene Togtokhbayar (MGL)
J2W -52 kg:
Gold - Aibike Ulanbek Kyzy (KGZ)
Silver - Kokila (IND)
BRONZE - Sumon Pensiri (THA)
J1M -70 kg:
Gold - Assylan Nurdauletov (KAZ)
Silver - Kapil Parmar (IND)
Bronze - Bat-Erdene Baatarsuren
Bronze - Junaedi (INA)
J2M -70 kg:
Gold - Ibragim Nurmakhanuly (KAZ)
Silver - Sherzod Namazov (UZB)
Bronze - Yujiro Seto (JPN)
J2W -60 kg:
Gold - Junko Hirose (JPN)
Silver - Hiroko Kudo (JPN)
J1M -81 kg:
Gold - Yergali Shamey (KAZ)
Silver - Shokhrukh Mamedov (UZB)
Bronze - Mahdi Borchlou (IRI)
Bronze - Bauyrzhan Arstanbekov (KAZ)
J2M -81 kg:
Gold - Galymzhan Smagululy (KAZ)
Silver - Bexultan Kulmurza (KAZ)
Bronze - Otabek Irisbekov (UZB)
Bronze - Tillakuzi Karimjonov (UZB)