–63 kg: Deketer Aims for Breakthrough Gold
Currently ranked ninth in the world, France’s Manon Deketer has already claimed two grand slam silver medals this season, in Paris and Tbilisi, and now sets her sights on going one step further in Qingdao.
Deketer may face Angelika Szymańska (POL), winner of the Warsaw European Open 2025, in a potential semi-final clash. In the lower half of the draw, another Polish judoka, Natalia Kropska, who secured bronze at the Baku Grand Slam earlier this year, could also make her mark. She will, however, face a tricky opening contest against Korea’s Seulmi Heo.
Completing the top four seeds is Mongolia’s Enkhriilen Lkhagvatogoo, silver medallist at the Asian Championships in April, also poised to challenge for the podium.
–73 kg: Ahadov Tops a Wide-Open Field
The –73 kg category promises depth and unpredictability, with Asia’s reigning champion and Tashkent Grand Slam 2025 medallist, Shakhram Ahadov (UZB), leading the draw as the number 1 seed.
If the seeding holds, Ahadov could face Kazbek Naguchev (UAE) in the semi-final. Naguchev, runner-up at the Qazaqstan Barysy Grand Slam earlier this year, narrowly missed out on a podium finish in Mongolia this summer and will be eager to prove himself here.
By now, the strength of the Tajik judoka is well known. Abubakr Sherov (TJK), a bronze medallist on home soil at the Dushanbe Grand Slam in May, will be determined to step onto the podium once again. Meanwhile, Pan-American champion Jack Yonezuka (USA), who claimed gold in Chile in April, continues to build momentum towards shining at his home Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028.
The draw remains wide open and surprises are very likely. Yonezuka could even face Japan’s Yudai Tanaka early on, adding further intrigue to an already loaded field.
–70 kg: Cvjetko Leads a Strong Field
The –70 kg category promises to be one of the most exciting of the weekend, with a wealth of talent on display. France fields two strong contenders: 2024 world champion Margaux Pinot and Melkia Auchecorne, herself a double world champion at junior level. Yet, Auchecorne will face a tough opening round against Hungary’s Szofi Özbas, winner in Baku, Tbilisi and at the European Championships this season. For one of them, there will be joy; for the other, disappointment.
Top seed Lara Cvjetko (CRO), twice a world finalist, in Tashkent in 2022 and in Budapest this past June, will also be looking to impose her authority in Qingdao.
Meanwhile, Britain’s Kelly Petersen Pollard has already demonstrated her consistency with eight World Judo Tour podia. Could Qingdao bring her a ninth?
With so many proven champions and dangerous outsiders, the –70 kg category is shaping up as one of the strongest and most unpredictable of the weekend.
–81 kg: Makhmadbekov Ready to Thrill Again
Announcing the –81 kg men always generates anticipation, as it is one of the most consistently spectacular weight categories on the World Judo Tour.
Tajikistan’s Somon Makhmadbekov has been one of its leading figures in recent years. His record speaks for itself: junior world champion in 2019, a senior world medallist in 2024 and, most memorably, an Olympic medallist in Paris last year. Known for his explosive and dynamic style, he will be eager to return to the podium in Qingdao after falling short at this year’s worlds.
A possible semi-final opponent is Gadzhimurad Omarov (UAE), though the Emirati will first need to get past Japan’s Yoshito Hojo, already a grand prix and grand slam winner in Portugal and Dushanbe respectively.
In the lower half of the draw, Turkiye’s Vedat Albayrak, a world medallist back in 2018, stands as the main favourite, with Bahrain’s Askerbii Gerbekov seeded at the top of pool D.
