SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT
Paris (October 18, 2021):-The 2021 edition of the Paris Grand Slam ended this Sunday 17th October with the last seven categories of the draw. This restart of competitions in Paris after the shutdown due to Covid and with it being only a few short months after the Tokyo Olympic Games, was very interesting in more ways than one.
First of all, it was a magnificent celebration of the fifty-year history of this legendary tournament. Between 1971 and 2021, the heroes of French and world judo were often built in Paris, because winning in France was and still is a necessary step for a successful career. The list of victories at the world championships and the Olympic Games can go on for pages; a title during the Grand Slam in Paris marks the memories of the athletes themselves and of judo fans.
For long minutes, the 8,000 spectators were able to express their joy in front of a parade of world judo legends. There was:
Lucie Decosse (FRA)
Yvonne Boenisch (GER)
Kate Howey (GBR)
Keiji Suzuki (JPN)
Masahi Ebinuma (JPN)
Vitaly Makarov (RUS)
Céline Lebrun (FRA)
Jean-Luc Rougé (FRA)
Haruki Uemura (JPN)
Yasuhiro Yamashita (JPN)
Udo Quellmalz (GER)
Cathy Fleury (FRA)
Guiseppe Maddaloni (ITA)
Neil Adams (GBR)
Ki-Young Jeon (KOR)
Angelo PARISI (FRA)
Emilie ANDEOL (FRA)
Madeleine MALONGA (FRA)
Gévrise EMANE (FRA)
Fabien CANU (FRA)
Frédéric DEMONTFAUCON (FRA)
France Judo, for the delight of the public, then made space for the French National Team who performed the historic feat of winning the first ever mixed team Olympic title in Tokyo during the summer: Amandine BUCHARD, Sarah-Leonie CYSIQUE, Margot PINOT, Madeleine MALONGA, Romane DICKO, Luka MHKEIDZE, Kilian LEBLOUCH, Guillaume CHAINE.
Also present were the French Paralympic medallists Sandrine MARTINET and Hellios Latchoumanaia.
If the audience in the French capital is always concise and passionate it is because they love and know judo and enjoy the show produced by athletes coming from all corners of the globe. They also love to celebrate their heroes and have a privileged moment with them. If some of the competitors present today competed during the weekend, like Guillaume Chaine, several others are still recovering from this summer but they all reassured the public that they will soon be back. Amandine Buchard was clear, “We will be here in February for the next Paris Grand Slam!”
-81kg: Sasaki Demonstrates His Talent
One could expect an explosive final between the prodigy Tato Grigalashvili (GEO) and the winner of the Guangzhou Masters in 2018, Takeshi Sasaki (JPN). The Georgian remains in the eyes of many specialists a great champion in the making, capable of attacking in all directions and with spectacular movements.
For the moment, the international results of the world number one are still a little below what could be expected of him. At 21 he is still young and has several years to expand his record. Today he found someone stronger than him with Sasaki who gave Grigalashvili no chance by throwing him twice, the first time with a reverse shoulder movement and the second time with a spectacular hip technique. Grigalashvili could rub his head a bit at the end of the final wondering what happened.
The reigning world champion, Matthias Casse returned to competition in Paris and undoubtedly hoped for better than a fifth place. The two Japanese in the category decided otherwise. For the bronze medal it was Sotaro Fujiwara who won against Casse. In the second match for a bronze medal, it was Bolor-Ochir Gereltuya (MGL) who won against Tizie Gnamien (FRA) after being led by a waza-ari, but then scoring a clear ippon.
Medals, flowers and cheques were presented by Mr Mustapha Berraf IOC Member and President of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa and Mr David Inquel, Vice President of France Judo
Final
GRIGALASHVILI Tato (GEO) vs SASAKI Takeshi (JPN)
Bronze Medal Contests
GNAMIEN Tizie (FRA) vs GERELTUYA Bolor-Ochir (MGL)
CASSE Matthias (BEL) vs FUJIWARA Sotaro (JPN)
Final Results
1. SASAKI Takeshi (JPN)
2. GRIGALASHVILI Tato (GEO)
3. GERELTUYA Bolor-Ochir (MGL)
3. FUJIWARA Sotaro (JPN)
5. GNAMIEN Tizie (FRA)
5. CASSE Matthias (BEL)
7. GRAMKOW Tim (GER)
7. HEIJMAN Jim (NED)
-70kg: Japan Strikes Again
For Barbara Matic this Paris Grand Slam was an interesting and above all important test. World champion in Budapest in June, the Croatian skipped the Zagreb Grand Prix, in her own country, in order to better prepare for the meeting in Paris. Dressed for the first time on the international circuit in her beautiful red bib, she approached the competition with seriousness and concentration, to reach the final against the Japanese Saki Niizoe.
Barbara Matic said, “I was feeling great but in the final something weird happened. We went into ne-waza, she strangled me and I started to feel dizzy. It is ok now, though, she was stronger today.”
After a rather balanced start to the final, even if Matic showed some small signs of imbalance, it was finally on the ground, once again that Niioze found the solution by pinning Matic already locked in by a potential shime-waza from the Japanese judoka. And that makes six gold medals for Japan already!
After a long golden score and a close match, Yoko Ono won a bronze medal. At the same time, Hilde Jager, fifth in Zagreb a few weeks ago, concluded her weekend with a bronze medal after having defeated Ellen Santana (BRA).
Medals, flowers and cheques were presented by Mr Jean Luc Rougé, General Secretary of the International Judo Federation and Mr Anthony Le Daniel, Vice President of France Judo
Final
MATIC Barbara (CRO) vs NIIZOE Saki (JPN)
Bronze Medal Contests
JAGER Hilde (NED) vs SANTANA Ellen (BRA)
ONO Yoko (JPN) vs PETERSEN POLLARD Kelly (GBR)
Final Results
1. NIIZOE Saki (JPN)
2. MATIC Barbara (CRO)
3. JAGER Hilde (NED)
3. ONO Yoko (JPN)
5. SANTANA Ellen (BRA)
5. PETERSEN POLLARD Kelly (GBR)
7. YEATS-BROWN Katie-Jemima (GBR)
7. TSERENDULAM Enkhchimeg (MGL)
-90kg: Nagasawa too Strong for the Others
Khusen Khalmurzaev (RUS) does not have the same prize list as his illustrious twin brother Khasan, who was Olympic champion in Rio in 2016, but still the Russian is a regular on the international circuit. This time he reached the final against the Japanese Kenta Nagasawa, who once again won the gold medal. With already seven gold medals under the Japanese flag, Keiji Suzuki, who recently replaced Kosei Inoue as the head coach for men, can be satisfied. The mother country of judo is already preparing the new Olympic cycle and even if they did not come to Paris with their number ones, they are proving to be on top.
Vitaly Makarov, Khalmurzaev's coach said: “We knew the Japanese opponent would wait and counter-attack and that happened. Khalmurzaev started his attack; it was a good one but Nagasawa stopped it well and managed to return the situation.”
The two bronze medals went to Luka Maisuradze (GEO) and Anri Egutidze (POR).
Medals, flowers and cheques were presented by Mr Andrey Kryukov, General Secretary of the National Olympic Committee of Kazakhstan and Ms Ericka Merion, Board Member of France Judo
Final
KHALMURZAEV Khusen (RUS) vs NAGASAWA Kenta (JPN)
Bronze Medal Contests
MURAO Sanshiro (JPN) vs EGUTIDZE Anri (POR)
MAISURADZE Luka (GEO) vs MATHIEU Alexis (FRA)
Final Results
1. NAGASAWA Kenta (JPN)
2. KHALMURZAEV Khusen (RUS)
3. EGUTIDZE Anri (POR)
3. MAISURADZE Luka
