Day 1 in Antalya brought wave after wave of athletes, with more than a third of the total entry registered among the lightweights. As if everyone, all 211 judoka, understood the need for urgency, with the clock ticking and a massive volume of contests to get through, the fights were dynamic and intense, employing a vast range of technical and tactical strategies.

Despite the shared attention to pace, there were a large number of contests requiring added time to find a winner. Far from being drawn out, they were, on the whole, fascinating. For example, the -57kg quarter-final between double world champion Rafaela Silva (BRA) and double world champion Daria Bilodid (UKR), forged on for more than 11 minutes. We saw o-uchi-gari, various pick-ups and counters, uchi-mata, a feast of tactical gripping, a mental strength only ever associated with the noblest class of judo and we saw full commitment to the cause. There was a potential ippon after ‘mate’ and a counter voided due to the ne-waza phase being engaged already. There were unorthodox angles and edge-of-seat cliff hangers. It was an education and could have been a final at any major event. Perhaps it will be in the weeks to come! Silva won and woe betide the judoka standing in front of Bilodid in the repechage, had she continued.

A fascinating quarter-final between Bilodid and Silva

Day 1 also brought into view an intriguing emphasis on a turnover usually used simply to pin but Vieru (MDA) lost to it and at -48kg Lima (BRA) used it to progress in the repechage past Kurboneva (UZB). In each case there was a clear submission, with tori securing an arm with their leg and using that leverage to roll and reposition uke. Miklos Ungvari (HUN) was a big fan of the same technique, using it effectively in the later years of his career, but always to hold and never to submit.

Lima's (BRA) ippon win can be found here:

Rolling exchanges were also a feature of the day and by that we mean that the judoka illustrated very well the principle of action and reaction, with many hajime phases seeing the advantage move from one to the other seamlessly, quickly and with the athletes responding incredibly well at high speed to every tiny change in direction. A gymnastic contest between Mkheidze (FRA) and Davlatov (KAZ) offered a perfect example of this with the Frenchman eventually coming out on top.

In 2021 Mkheidze had a short series of excellent results, including an Olympic medal but in the following year he only appeared once; we all understand the role of injuries in the pathway. He’s made a great start in 2023 with two appearances and two medals so far, before the end of the first day in Turkiye. He looks like an athlete on a mission, a calm and measured mission towards his home Olympics. France has needed a man to hold his hand up in a sustained fashion and maybe Mkheidze is that man.

Mkheidze (FRA) against Davlatov (KAZ) en route to a French gold

Actually France had another candidate in the final block for the men, on top of the usual crowd of women, led by Buchard and Pont, in the shape of Maxime Gobert. He was junior European champion, junior world bronze medallist and then u23 European champion not so long ago but at 21 he’s now taking possession of senior medals with a bronze in Tokyo just 4 months ago and now his first grand slam final.

Mkheidze and Gobert provide clues that lead us into thinking perhaps France is turning the tide, not just in opportunist ways but for the longer term. The men are racing to catch their women’s team, the objective is clear. We also note a certain integrity in the way these men approach their contests. They’re fighting for ippon, employing strategy and physical capability, never complaining or asking for gifts. This is the kind of mindset we all like to see; head down, hard work, game plan, positive attitudes.

Gobert (FRA) celebrates with spectators after winning -66kg gold

In Gobert’s category only Lima (BRA) and Schmailov (ISR) from the 8 top seeds made it to a quarter-final and eventually bronze medal matches but no seeded athletes reached the final. Is this an observation that implies a changing of the guide just over a year before the Paris Games? Perhaps -66kg is shuffling it’s deck ready for a new group to assert themselves. Gobert is doing a fabulous job and at his age he could have another decade of medals and progress ahead of him. What happens next at -66kg is in the hands of the delegations but it’s exciting to see it so open in Antalya and with such a range of skills.

The statistics say something else at -52kg. Three of the top 4 reached the semi-finals and in the final were Giles (GBR) and Buchard (FRA), adversaries of old now, with 5 previous meetings and an almost equal split but with Giles owning the most recent victories. Giles brought a world, Olympic and Masters medal to the final to face the French judoka’s Olympic medal and her 4 world and 4 Masters medals. Maybe Giles arrived later on the scene but she is really making up for lost time with a medal at every individual event in which she has participated since November 2019.

Giles versus Buchard: gold for France, this time!

Day 1 has been a lot fun and with something to offer everyone; ne-waza specialists, those drawn to gripping mastery, the fans of gymnastics and of course those who just love to be wowed by the big ippon throws.

The middleweights are weighed-in and ready to go and day 2 is now not far away. Follow all the action via live.ijf.org

For photos of Antalya and all IJF events, go to ijf.org/galleries

See also