Sports Bulletin

Sports Desk ISLAMABAD (October 11, 2021):-Sunday 10th October, everyone had to change the hardware. When the mixed team tournament arrives, it is not the same. The concept does not change, of a tatami, two opponents and a winner, but here there are second chances, even third ones. In individual competitions judoka depend on themselves, for better or for worse. The team competition has a safety cushion; a defeat does not mean elimination. That’s what the teammates are here for: to correct a stumble. The difference is that, when competing alone, losers lick their wounds alone. In teams, there is no fear of losing but of disappointing teammates and that is the beauty of it, because everyone comes out with more ambition and fury than usual. It is the magic of the teams, a modality that has come to stay because it motivates and everyone likes it. At 10am today, one could immediately notice that the sound level in the arena had risen dramatically. There was only one reason for this: during every single match, entire teams, including competing and non-competing athletes, coaches and physiotherapists, were cheering and supporting from the stands. it must be said that within a performing team, there are the individuals, the team itself and the atmosphere that is generated by the whole group. This third element definitely plays an important role when it comes to adding the extra energy that is necessary to move mountains. Even if France and Russia were the top seeds and therefore the favourites and even if they actually reached the final, nothing was written in advance and everything was possible. This is when uncertainty produces beauty. In each round the two finallists faced difficult moments. They couldn't just say 'oh we're going to win with ease.’ This never really happens in the team events. Because they are teams and not just groups, France and Russia overcame all the challenges. Final: France vs Russia - France as One Joan-Benjamin Gaba already fought zillions of matches today, with long golden scores and a lot of energy left on the tatami. In the first bout of the final he was opposed to Saikhan Shabikhanov in what quickly looked like an intense match and it was. Attacks were coming from both sides, the two athletes always, at the very last moment, managing to escape from unbelievable situations. Step by step the French judoka seemed to take advantage over his opponent, who was penalised. After a long golden score, Saikhan Shabikhanov received a third shido that gave the point to Gaba and France, but what a match! Mélodie Turpin and Francis Damier quickly gave two more points to team France, both winning by ippon, before Coralie Hayme, the new heavy weight world champion, stepped on the tatami aigainst Alana Alborova. With one gold medal already medal in her pocket after the individual tournament, Hayme still had some pressure on her shoulders, to confirm her results from the day before and to give the victory to her delegation. She succeeded with both. After a confused sequence, Hayme landed on her opponent. She didn't let the chance pass by and she pinned Alborova to give the fourth point to France. The juniors being world champions now, after their elders became Olympic Champions a few months ago, France confirm they are more than just a group of athletes, but definitely a real team with an incredible team spirit. It is definitely because they are united on and off the tatami that they can go way further than any other delegation for the time being. -73 kg GABA Joan-Benjamin vs SHABIKHANOV Saikhan -70 kg TURPIN Melodie vs VASILEVA Daria -90 kg DAMIER Francis vs DRANOVSKII Daniil +70 kg HAYME Coralie vs ALBOROVA Alana +90 kg SAPARBAEV Khamzat vs IAKUSHEV Dmitrii -57 kg MOKDAR Faiza vs ELKINA Natalia Bronze Medal Contests Ukraine vs Germany: With Will and a Bit of Luck, Germany Wins Bronze After more than 7 minutes of golden score, Rostyslav Berezhnyi brought the first point to Ukraine, Jano Ruebo (GER) having been penalised three times. Nataliia Chystiakova won the second point for Ukraine after defeating Friederike Stolze at -70kg, with a waza-ari score via a counterattack and the a few seconds later she pinned the German judoka for ippon. A third point for team Ukraine was not long to follow, with Tymur Valieiev winning against Fabian Kansy. Still everything was still possible as Germany had already one point, from Ukraine missing an athlete in the -57kg weight category. It was the turn of Ruslana Bulavina and Anna Monta Olek to step on the mat. The mission of the new German world champion was simple: win! She did it in style, with a first waza-ari and an osae-komi-waza for ippon. When Losseni Kone won the third point for Germany, the teams were tied 3-3. It was time to draw a category to know who the winner would be. Unfortunately for Ukraine, -57kg was drawn and Germany won the bronze medal. -73 kg BEREZHNYI Rostyslav vs RUEBO Jano -70 kg CHYSTIAKOVA Nataliia vs STOLZE Friederike -90 kg VALIEIEV Tymur vs KANSY Fabian +70 kg BULAVINA Ruslana vs OLEK Anna Monta +90 kg HALAKA Oleksii vs KONE Losseni -57 kg ... vs KONE Losseni Hungary vs turkey: Turkey Steps Onto the Podium in Olbia The first point went to Turkey, with Umalt Demirel executing a beautiful uchi-mata for ippon against Botond Toth. Szofi won all her matches today until the bronze medal match and then she did it again against Habibe Afyonlu, after the latter was disqualified for applying a forbidden technique. 1-1. Peter Safrany of Hungary is the new world champion in his category, but twice today he lost matches that he should have won, based on his level. This time Omer Aydin threw him for waza-ari and controlled the rest of the bout to bring one more point to Turkey. The third point for Turkey came straight after, with Hilal Ozturk pinning Szilvia Farkas for ippon. Richard Sipocz did not show great judo through the morning, but for a bronze medal everything is possible and he threw Munir Ertug with a massive one-handed sode-tsuri-komi-goshi. Anna Kriza could then not do anything to stop Ozlen Yildiz from scoring the last point for Turkey, to win the mixed team second bronze medal. -73 kg TOTH Botond vs DEMIREL Umalt -70 kg OZBAS Szofi vs AFYONLU Habibe -90 kg SAFRANY Peter vs AYDIN Omer +70 kg FARKAS Szilvia vs OZTURK Hilal +90 kg SIPOCZ Richard vs ERTUG Munir -57 kg KRIZA Anna vs YILDIZ Ozlem

Sports Desk ISLAMABAD (October 10, 2021):-While the last day of the individual Junior World Championships ended in apotheosis and while there is now the mixed team competition to come to definitively close the 2021 edition of the competition, Michael Tamura, IJF Sports Director in charge of the juniors, commented on a week full of lessons. But before that during the final block, the IJF President, Mr Marius Vizer and the Mayor of the city of Olbia, Mr Settimo Nizzi, were presented with a special gift from Mr Gavino Piredda, President of the organising committee of the World Judo Championships, Olbia 2021. Michael Tamura explained, "From a personal point of view, it was a huge opportunity to be here and officiate as the Sports Director. I want to give a huge thank you to the IJF President, Marius Vizer and Vladimir Barta, the IJF Head Sport Director, for giving me the opportunity and for guiding me through this very exciting and demanding job. For me, it's really a dream come true to be here. It's exciting, it's overwhelming to be part of this organisation. I love judo and my judo family. Honestly this is beyond expectations. What has been really challenging over the past months was dealing with the whole Covid situation. You can't imagine how difficult it is to bring delegations from all over the world, together here to compete. I must say that the IJF protocol is an example of good practice and of safety for everyone. To be clear, before the start of the competition, I was a bit scared, because most of the athletes had to stop competing and even training during Covid. Delegations were isolated, so I didn't know what to expect in terms of level, but you saw, during the week, that the judo was incredibly strong and dynamic. This is a great sign, showing that our judo family never surrendered when faced with the pandemic. I am so proud of everyone. You know, months ago, nobody would have imagined what we went through and still today nobody can tell exactly where we are going. What is sure is that judo in Olbia proved to be doing really well. As I'm also in charge of Judo Canada, I can tell you that we are still struggling, because it's different in every province. Over there, as well, we are working hard and the IJF gave us a great example and brought us hope. To summarise, I am a happy Sport Director. I am happy about what I saw and how it went and I'm really looking forward to watching the mixed team event. This shows how much our judo community is united." -78kg: Golden Series for Anna Monta Olek Anna Monta Olek (GER) and Real Van Heemst (NED) qualified for the first final of the fourth day of competition at the Junior World Championships. For both it presented a potentially very special moment, since it could be Germany’s first gold medal in Olbia and for Van Heemst it would be a great confirmation of the good form of the Dutch delegation which has already won one gold and one silver medal. Whatever the results would be, the two athletes dominated the preliminary rounds with consistency and concentration. Olek and Van Heemst knew one another quite well already. They met a few weeks ago during the Junior European Championships, in the final and the German judoka won. What would the results be this time? Anna Monta Olek said, "It was the same final as the European Championships. We are now starting to know each other so before the final I said to myself, ‘do exactly the same as last time.’ I did it and it worked. On top of that, Germany got a bronze. What a superb final day!" The second German competitor of the category, Raffaela Igl, was also present in the final block. She faced Yelyzaveta Lytvynenko (UKR) for a place on the podium and after a nice piece of groundwork pinned down her opponent for ippon and the bronze medal. In the second bronze medal contest, Liz Ngelebeya (FRA) was opposed to Eliza Ramos (BRA). With less than one minute to go, Ngelebeya scored waza-ari and seemed in a good position to win but a few seconds later Eliza Ramos also scored with an o-soto-gari for waza-ari. It was time for golden score, in a match that was more undecided than ever. It was eventually Ramos who scored the second and liberating waza-ari to win the bronze medal. Final OLEK Anna Monta (GER) vs VAN HEEMST Yael (NED) Bronze Medal Contests IGL Raffaela (GER) vs LYTVYNENKO Yelyzaveta (UKR) NGELEBEYA Liz (FRA) vs RAMOS Eliza (BRA) Final Results 1. OLEK Anna Monta (GER) 2. VAN HEEMST Yael (NED) 3. IGL Raffaela (GER) 3. RAMOS Eliza (BRA) 5. LYTVYNENKO Yelyzaveta (UKR) 5. NGELEBEYA Liz (FRA) 7. DOLGILEVICA Una (LAT) 7. PARAGULGOVA Madina (KAZ) -100kg: This Time It's Gold for Sulamanidze Uzbekistan and Georgia are two major players on the World Judo Tour, so finding competitors coming from those two countries was not really a surprise. The whole morning session was dominated by the two judoka, Sukhrob Rajabov (UZB) Ilia Sulamanidze (GEO), who moved a lot of weight to clear the patch in front of them. We had to wait until the last minute to see the first score of the final, when Ilia Sulamanidze executed a perfect okuri-ashi-barai. Already the winner of several World Judo Tour medals, of the senior world championships bronze medal in Budapest this year and a former junior world silver medallist, 2021 is his year to become the new junior world champion too. Ilia Sulamanidze said, "Before the final my coach was talking a lot and I said, ‘don’t worry, I’m ready.’ I started slowly and after 2 minutes I started to push. Then I threw just as I expected." The first bronze medal was disputed between Viktor Adam (SVK) and Matvey Kanikovsiy (RUS) and it was the Russian who scored the first waza-ari and kept dominating the match before scoring a superb ippon with ashi-guruma to seal the deal. Another Uzbek competitor was also present in the final block: Utkirberk Toroboyev. He qualified for the second bronze medal contest, to fight against German Kilian Kappelmeier and during a tough match scored two waza-ari to win what was still the first medal of the Uzbek team before the final took place. Final RAJABOV Sukhrob (UZB) vs SULAMANIDZE Ilia (GEO) Bronze Medal Contests ADAM Viktor (SVK) vs KANIKOVSKIY Matvey (RUS) TUROBOYEV Utkirbek (UZB) vs KAPPELMEIER Kilian (GER) Final Results 1. SULAMANIDZE Ilia (GEO) 2. RAJABOV Sukhrob (UZB) 3. KANIKOVSKIY Matvey (RUS) 3. TUROBOYEV Utkirbek (UZB) 5. ADAM Viktor (SVK) 5. KAPPELMEIER Kilian (GER) 7. SAPARBAEV Khamzat (FRA) 7. JAPARIDZE Mikheil (GEO) +78kg: Coralie Shows Mastery to Win Gold Marit Kamps of the Netherlands was not really a surprise, as she arrived as the top seed here in Olbia. She joined Coralie Hayme of France in the final. Actually the French judoka was seeded number two and so this was not a surprise either, in a category where athletes are more and more showing incredible physical and technical capabilities and a great ability to throw. The least that can be said is that Coralie Hayme dominated the final. Never really in danger, she controlled the kumi-kata perfectly, pushing Kamps to be penalised twice and at the right moment, the French fighter executed a low tai-otoshi to score waza-ari, one she kept until the final gong, for a well deserved junior world title. Hayme's mastery at that level of competition was quite impressive. Nothing seemed to bother her and she applied the perfect tactics. Coralie Hayme said, "I was thinking too much all day long, in every contest. Before the final I said to myself, ‘be proud,’ so in order to be proud I had to give everything. I could have been more mobile but it was ok. She did what I expected before the contest. I did not want to reach golden score or count on shidos so I tried to score and I did it and now I’m proud and happy." Despite many difficulties, Venezuela is one of the countries that puts athletes in the position to win medals regularly, here with Amarantha Urdaneta, but also on the World Judo Tour. She faced Hilal Ozturk of Turkey; a country that has a strong recent history in the women's heavy weight division. In less than 45 seconds the result was known, with Ozturk scoring waza-ari from a maki-komi technique, followed with an immobilisation for ippon. Lea Fontaine, also from France, was hoping for a better finishing position, but she had to limit herself to compete for bronze against Elisabeth Pflugbeil of Germany. The same scenario occurred here as during the first bronze medal contest, with a first waza-ari from Fontaine followed by an immobilisation for ippon and a new medal for the French delegation. Final KAMPS Marit (NED) vs HAYME Coralie (FRA) Bronze Medal Contests URDANETA Amarantha (VEN) vs OZTURK Hilal (TUR) FONTAINE Lea (FRA) vs PFLUGBEIL Elisabeth (GER) Final Results 1. HAYME Coralie (FRA) 2. KAMPS Marit (NED) 3. OZTURK Hilal (TUR) 3. FONTAINE Lea (FRA)

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Olbia, Italy (October 8, 2021):- The third day of the 2021 Junior World Championships in Olbia ended with a good harvest from European countries which, since the start of the event, have demonstrated their power and their good preparation for this first world level event of the post-Tokyo Olympic Games era. It is a fact that the Japanese are not there, but that is their decision and it in no way detracts from the performance of the countries involved; on the contrary. After three days of competition, there were already no less than 20 medallist countries. What undoubtedly strikes the discerning eyes of all observers of these championships, whether they belong to athletes, coaches or officials, is the level of judo practised. In Olbia, of course it is a question of tactics, but it is above all and beyond everything a question of commitment and the will to throw the opponent. The juniors can be proud of their judo; it's as good as that practised by their elders. You just have to see the amount of ippon and waza-ari scores to be convinced by that. The juniors offer us a magnificent show, up to expectations, which does a lot of good and which portends some world-class World Judo Tour tournaments in the near future. It is certain that the competitors involved in Olbia will be keen to prove that they have the makings of world and Olympic heroes. This promises generational clashes of the most beautiful kind from next week, during the Grand Slam in Paris. In Zagreb, a week ago, we already underlined that the current phase is more than a phase of transition between two Olympic cycles. It is a phase of construction during which the new builders can express their full potential. Thank you to all our juniors for bringing a youthful and energetic touch to international judo and for blowing an invigorating breeze of freshness across our heads. -81kg: A Second Gold for Georgia with Sherazadishvili Georgia does not need to be presented any more when it comes to talking about judo. With world champions and Olympics champions coming from the Caucasus country, it is not a surprise to discover a new Georgian name in the final of a world championships, which today was the case of Giorgi Sherazadishvili. He faced Adam Tsechoev of Russia for the gold medal, showing the good form of the Russian delegation too, which has already won two titles in Olbia. After the first two bronze medal matches, to be reported on shortly, the final started with the same high rhythm, giving the impression that once again the match won't last four minutes. Less active than his opponent, Adam Tsechoev was penalised a first time. As this pushed him to take risks, he was countered by Sherazadishvili for waza-ari. The Georgian champion just had to control the rest of the bout to gain the junior world title. Something tells us that it's not the last time we will see Giorgi Sherazadishvili. This is the second gold medal for Giorgia in Olbia. Giorgi Sherazadishvili said, "All Georgian judoka are strong because we work hard and we help each other. We are never alone on the mat, with all of the team and a whole country supporting each judoka. There is no better motivation than that." In the first bronze medal contest, Ayan Baigazy (KAZ) opposed Eljan Hajiyev (AZE). Hajiyev quickly took the lead with a clear waza-ari that was just lacking a bit of impact to be counted as ippon. A few seconds later, everyone could feel that something was going to happen and this time it was Ayan Baigazy who scored waza-ari with a massive counterattack (te-waza) on Hajiyev's attempt to score with a sasae-tsuri-komi-ashi. It was clear that this match wouldn't reach the end and that is exactly what happened when Eljan Hajiyev performed an aerial koshi-waza technique, this time for ippon. Yesterday, Gianni Maddaloni explained that together with his son they would win the title if Bright would follow, to the letter, the plan strategised together. This almost worked, until the quarter-final, when Bright Maddaloni Nosa (ITA) lost against Eljan Hajiyev (AZE). For the Italian there was still one chance to step on the podium, when he faced Artem Bubyr (UKR) in the second bronze medal contest. Unfortunately he was quickly countered on his very first attack and then pinned down by Artem Bubyr, with the medal eventually going to Ukraine. Final SHERAZADISHVILI Giorgi (GEO) vs TSECHOEV Adam (RUS) Bronze Medal Contests BAIGAZY Ayan (KAZ) vs HAJIYEV Eljan (AZE) MADDALONI NOSA Bright (ITA) vs BUBYR Artem (UKR) Final Results 1. SHERAZADISHVILI Giorgi (GEO) 2. TSECHOEV Adam (RUS) 3. HAJIYEV Eljan (AZE) 3. BUBYR Artem (UKR) 5. BAIGAZY Ayan (KAZ) 5. MADDALONI NOSA Bright (ITA) 7. JANFAOUI Emir (FRA) 7. ABDUJALILOV Muhammadjon (TJK) -70kg: A Pure and Humble Win for Tsunoda of Spain Cadet world champion in Kazakhstan in 2019 and bronze medallist at the last European Junior Championships in Luxembourg, Ai Tsunoda Roustant (ESP) is already an accomplished junior. She also already won a bronze medal in a Grand Prix on the World Judo Tour. Today she was ready to add one important line to her prize list, as she entered the final of the -70kg category against Croatian Lara Cvjetko (CRO), who was ready to follow in the footsteps of her illustrious teammate Barbara Matic, senior world champion last June in Budapest. Being less active than Tsunoda Roustant, the Croatian competitor was penalised a first time with a shido for passivity. Unsuccessful until the last minute and a half, Tsunoda Roustant launched her own version of a reversed tsuri-komi-goshi and this time scored a waza-ari. Very confident in her capacity to control the rest of the final, Ai Tsunoda Roustant won already the second world title of her young career in pure and humble style. Ai Tsunoda Roustant said, "Yes I have won and yes I’m very happy but I made too many mistakes today; I felt them too many times. I need to solve that problem but I hope it also means that I can still progress." The first bronze medal contest saw Luana Carvalho (BRA) and Friederike Stolze (GER) competing for a medal. The alert was red when Luana Carvalho almost caught Friederike Stolze at the beginning of the match but the German competitor escaped but not the second time it happened and that’s how Carvalho secured a perfect turn-over to apply a sankaku-jime, transformed into an immobilisation for ippon and the bronze medal. Katarzyna Sobierajska (POL) and Nataliia Chystiakova Nataliia (UKR) competed for the second bronze medal. After a long sequence of observation with no score, the first one to add one waza-ari to her name was Sobierajska. It was a score that she kept alive until the final gong, to win bronze. Final CVJETKO Lara (CRO) vs TSUNODA ROUSTANT Ai (ESP) Bronze Medal Contests CARVALHO Luana (BRA) vs STOLZE Friederike (GER) SOBIERAJSKA Katarzyna (POL) vs CHYSTIAKOVA Nataliia (UKR) Final Results 1. TSUNODA ROUSTANT Ai (ESP) 2. CVJETKO Lara (CRO) 3. CARVALHO Luana (BRA) 3. SOBIERAJSKA Katarzyna (POL) 5. STOLZE Friederike (GER) 5. CHYSTIAKOVA Nataliia (UKR) 7. CZERLAU Jennifer (HUN) 7. ESPOSITO Martina (ITA) -90kg: Hungarian Safrany Concludes a Beautiful Day of Judo Following the success of Joanne Van Lieshout on day two of the Junior Worlds, the Netherlands placed another athlete in a position to win gold, with Tigo Renes facing Peter Safrany of Hungary in the final of the -90kg weight division. Peter Safrany had already had the opportunity to show his counterattack capacities and once again in the final he scored twice with what looked like his tokui-waza or preferred technique, to win the title for Hungary. It must be said that the whole final block was exceptional, as only one match went to golden score and the whole sequence was not longer than one hour and ten minutes. Peter Safrany said, "Today my ura-nage worked pretty well but I’m so tired, especially since the quarter-final. That contest was the toughest because the French guy was never tired." Russia was assured to have one more medal with both Adam Sangariev (RUS) and Egor Andoni (RUS) being qualified for the bronze medal contest. This was the first and only golden score of the final block of this third day. With athletes knowing one another so well, they could not find a simple opportunity to throw and therefore the winner was decided by the one with less penalties than the other. Bronze went to Adam Sangariev. The French athletes all showed some really great judo throughout the preliminary rounds on day three but at the end of the day, only one athlete, Maxime-Gael Ngayap Hambou, was in a position to step on to the podium, against Alex Cret (ROU). It was a really pleasant match to watch both athletes offering to the public a lot of action and scores. Alex Cret scored first but his waza-ari was downgraded. Then the French competitor scored a first waza-ari with a rolling movement, followed shortly after by a low sode-tsuri-komi-goshi for ippon and the bronze medal for Maxime-Gael Ngayap Hambou. Final RENES Tigo (NED) vs SAFRANY Peter (HUN) Bronze Medal Contests SANGARIEV Adam (RUS) vs ANDONI Egor (RUS) NGAYAP HAMBOU Maxime-Gael (FRA) vs CRET Alex (ROU) Final Results 1. SAFRANY Peter (HUN) 2. RENES Tigo (NED) 3. SANGARIEV Adam (RUS) 3. NGAYAP HAMBOU Maxime-Gael (FRA) 5. ANDONI Egor (RUS)

SPORTS REPORTER Karachi (October 7, 2021):-Pakistan Taekwondo team departs for Tehran through private airline via Doha to participate in the 31st Fajar Open, 3rd Asian Open and 10th Asian Taekwondo Club Championship. A six-man squad includes Haroon Khan, Shahzaib, Hamza Saeed, Abu Bakar, Taimoor Saeed, and coach Shahzada Mohammad Asif will be trained there under the supervision of Iran national coaches for the next 5 days. Athletes will compete in the 10th Asian Taekwondo Club Championship from October 13 to 17 in Fajar Open while Asian Open will be kicked off from October 17. Pakistan Olympic Association’s Media Advisor Asif Azeem, General Manager Combaxx Sports Zubair Macha, and officials of Sindh Taekwondo Association saw off the team at Jinnah International Airport. Pakistan’s Bronze Medalist at the 24th Asian Taekwondo Championship at Lebanon, Haroon Khan said that all guys did all preparations for these events and would try to stand on the victory spot. “The experience at Fajar Open will prove to be fruitful for next month's G-one Championship at Islamabad. All the players are full of national spirit and enthusiasm; Insha’Allah will give good results to the nation, “said Hamza Saeed. Taimoor Saeed said that the best players from Asia would be participating in this event; carrying a winning spirit. Coach Shahzada Asif said, “Our players have trained well for the competitions and will give their level best results. It should be clear that all the traveling and competition-related expenses and all support were provided by President Pakistan Taekwondo Federation, “he concluded.

SPORTS DESK Islamabad (October 7, 2021):-On the eve of the competition, President Marius Vizer had the pleasure of attending a concert of famous artists and IJF Ambassador Al Bano Carrisi, organised by the International Judo Federation. Al Bano was accompanied by his own musician and also performed together with Italian pop group Ricchi e Poveri as well as many artists from Russia, Romania and other countries. During the concert, the city mayor, the IJF President and Al Bano came together on the stage for a friendly moment where President Vizer presented Mayor Settimo Nizzi with the IJF gold medal. Junior Worlds: Viva l'Italia! It’s the first world championships organised after the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games! The Junior World Championships, Olbia 2021, delivered impressive judo throughout day one of the event. Being a top seed always offers more chances to be present in the final block of an international event. Still, this is not always a 100% guarantee, especially with the juniors who are still sometimes looking for their own judo style. Just before the start of the final block, the opening ceremony of the event took place in the presence of the Mayor of Olbia, Mr. Settimo Nizzi, the President of the Italian Judo Wrestling Karate Martial Arts Federation, Mr Domenico Falcone and the IJF President, Mr Marius Vizer. Settimo Nizzi declared, "Today is the opening of the great event that we've been waiting for, for so long. After the Veterans and Kata World Championships that were held in this city a few years ago, we are happy to welcome the international judo family to Olbia again. Judo is very popular among our population. Sport unites people. I thank the IJF President, Marius Vizer, who gave us the opportunity to host this championship. I thank the Italian Federation and Judo Sardinia for organising it. I am sure that we will have the pleasure of being part of a great competition, which will illustrate the values of the sport." Domenico Falcone said, "I am very happy to welcome you all to Olbia. This is the first world championship after the Tokyo Olympic Games and future champions will start their judo career here. Thank you to Marius Vizer for the confidence. Thank you to the Mayor of Olbia and the Sardinian authorities. Thank you to the organisers and all the volunteers. I wish you all good luck and success." Then Marius Vizer took the floor, “It’s a great moment to organise the Junior World Championships, during the time of Covid. I want to thank all participants and national federations for all their efforts. I also want to address all our consideration to the Mayor of the city of Olbia and to the Sardinian region, as well as the European Judo Union, the Italian Judo Federation and all those involved in making this event a success. Welcome to you all and I declare the 2021 Junior World Championships, Olbia, Sardinia, Italy, open." -48kg: Bravo Scutto for Italy For the host country of a world championship, securing a medal from day one is always very important. By qualifying for the -48kg final, Assunta Scutto (ITA) was able to bring a smile to the faces of the entire Italian delegation. Perhaps the hardest part remained though, against Russia's Irena Khubulova, who also qualified for the final. In less than one minute, Italy could already say that this edition of the Junior World Championships were a success, as Assunta Scutto scored a clear ippon with an osae-komi-waza technique applied on the edge of the competition area. Assunta Scutto said, "I have so many emotions that it is hard to explain. Today it was my day but I did not know that this morning. I wanted to win because it is a world title and because I’m at home. I was so nervous in the first round that it became my toughest contest. The rest was just perfect." The first bronze medal contest saw the second chance for Italy to step on the podium, with Asia Avanzato facing Anastasiia Balaban (BUL), winner of the Prague Junior European Cup in July 2021. With the bronze medal matches taking place at the beginning of the final block, Asia Avanzato (ITA) was very happy to offer the first medal to her delegation, after she scored a waza-ari with a low-o-soto-gari. It’s a good start for Italy. Rafaela Batista (BRA), silver medallist at the 2021 Pan American Junior Championships and Léa BERES (FRA), bronze medallist at the last Junior European Championships, qualified for the second bronze medal contest. 38 seconds were enough for the Brazilian athlete to win bronze after she applied a shime-waza that gave no chance to the French competitor. Final: SCUTTO Assunta (ITA) vs KHUBULOVA Irena (RUS) Bronze Medal Contests AVANZATO Asia (ITA) vs BALABAN Anastasiia (BUL) BATISTA Rafaela (BRA) vs BERES Lea (FRA) Final Results 1. SCUTTO Assunta (ITA) 2. KHUBULOVA Irena (RUS) 3. AVANZATO Asia (ITA) 3. BATISTA Rafaela (BRA) 5. BALABAN Anastasiia (BUL) 5. BERES Lea (FRA) 7. NASCIMENTO Alexia (BRA) 7. GOMEZ ANTONA Gemma Maria (ESP) -60kg: Sardalashvili Scores for Georgia   Romain Valadier Picard was the obvious favourite and top seed of the category, having won the 2021 European Championships with style and the Frenchman started very well, but he found a strong and tactical opponent with Turan Bayramov (AZE) in the quarter-final, who defeated the French judoka after the latter was penalised a third time for stepping out of the mat. The rule is clear: when you are close to the edge, you need to escape. Valadier Picard did this by attacking outside when he could have simply avoided the edge of the mat. So Turan Bayramov faced the Georgian, Giorgi Sardalashvili, in the final.   Sardalashvili won the junior world title after performing a counter attack for waza-ari, inscribing his name on the list of future Georgian heroes. Giorgi Sardalashvili said, "The secret of Georgian judo is hard work. We train and we listen to our coaches. I train with Lasha Bekauri; we have the same coach. Today I wanted to be as good as him." Disappointed by his defeat in the quarter-final, Romain Valadier Picard found the ressources to win his repechage match to enter the bronze medal contest against Yam Wolczak of Israel, which he also won with a beautiful waza-ari, scored with a precise kata-guruma. The second bronze medal contest saw Sherzod Davlatov (KAZ) and Kamoliddin Bakhtiyorov Kamoliddin (UZB) competing for a place on the podium. With a superb shoulder movement, Davlatov won the bronze medal. Final BAYRAMOV Turan (AZE) vs SARDALASHVILI Giorgi (GEO) Bronze Medal Contests VALADIER PICARD Romain (FRA) vs WOLCZAK Yam (ISR) DAVLATOV Sherzod (KAZ) vs BAKHTIYOROV Kamoliddin (UZB) Final Results 1. SARDALASHVILI Giorgi (GEO) 2. BAYRAMOV Turan (AZE) 3. VALADIER PICARD Romain (FRA) 3. DAVLATOV Sherzod (KAZ) 5. WOLCZAK Yam (ISR) 5. BAKHTIYOROV Kamoliddin (UZB) 7. SHATIRISHVILI Shakro (GEO) 7. PARCHIEV Abu-Muslim (RUS) -52kg: France Climbs on Top of the Medal Podium With Devictor Once again the host country qualified an athlete for the final, as Giulia Carna won her ticket after convincing victories against Sheily Lopez (GUA), Teresa Santos (POR), Marina Castello Diez (ESP) and Erza Muminoviq (KOS). To face her in the final was Chloe Devictor of France, who had a serious and consistant road to get there, having been seeded number two at the beginning of the day. Over-motivated by the victory of her teammate Scutto in the lower category, Carna stepped on the mat convinced that she could achieve the same feat but Devictor did not have the same opinion. During a very tactical match, the French fighter pushed her to get penalised and counterattacking her for a waza-ari, that offered the first gold medal of the championship to team France. Chloe Devictor said, "In the quarterfinal I had a very tactical match and a very physical one in the semi. The final was both tactical and physical. All day long I had tough and different styles to fight against and I felt that my opponents have studied my judo. It was hard but great. We have a good team, we are friends and we set the pace from this very first day. That means we are doing the right thing." In the first bronze medal contest Sabina Aliyeva (AZE) competed against Binta Ndiaye (SUI), who eventually won the medal. The second bronze medal contest saw Ariane Toro Soler (ESP) and Erza Muminoviq (KOS) competing for a medal. The medal went to Kosovo via Erza Muminoviq, who might be one of the next judo stars from her small country.

SPORTS DESK Islamabad (October 5, 2021):-The World Juniors Judo Championships will take place from 6th to 10th October in Olbia, Itly. For five days the best juniors, 495 in total, from 72 countries, will compete at the Geopalace for the supreme title of Junior World Champion, a title that counts in the career of young athletes. As President Vizer stated in his welcome letter to all delegations, "Our junior judoka have suffered a great deal through the last year and a half, navigating a pandemic and doing all they can to continue preparing for a full life and career in judo. We are proud of all they have achieved and look forward to seeing them give of their very best in Sardinia. With just 3 years until Paris we expect that many of our elite juniors will be aiming, longer term, at using their experience in Olbia as a springboard into the senior ranks and many are likely to appear in Paris in 2024." Dr Lisa Allan, IJF Events Director, opened the official draw of the competition, "Welcome to the beautiful island of Sardinia and a special thank you to the organisers of the event and the local sponsors." Then Vladimir Barta, IJF Head Sport Director said, "Distinguished guests and participants, on behalf of President Marius Vizer, I am delighted to welcome you to Olbia. It's a very important event since we didn't have junior world championships last year. This is the most prestigious competition for the juniors." Domenico Falcone, President of FIJLKAM (Italian Judo Federation), declared, "On behalf of the Italian Judo Federation, I would like to welcome each of you to the 2021 World Judo Championships for juniors, taking place in the well known city of Olbia, that has already successfully hosted the 2016 Veteran European Championships and the 2017 Kata and Veteran World Championships. It is an honour for my Federation to organise this event, despite the difficult moments caused by the world pandemic. It’s such an important event, that will represent the first challenging step for the athletes who will be involved on the route to Paris 2024. I wish all the participants an excellent experience, a lot of luck to achieve their goals and the possibility to enjoy these days near the beautiful beaches of the Mediterranean Sea. Finally, I would like to thank the International Judo Federation for the confidence shown with the assignment of the event and the local authorities for the support provided to the organisers." Florin Daniel Lascau, IJF Head Refereeing Director, underlined the fact the best referees in the world were appointed to officiate for the duration of the championships, to guarantee the fairness of the event, while Michael Tamura, IJF Sport Director, took the lead of the technical part of the draw for the first time since the Judo Canada President was appointed to the IJF Executive Committee last June. "I was a keen to take care of the technical part of the draw with appropriate consideration for its smooth delivery and making sure all details were correct. It represents a lot. I didn't want to make any mistakes," said Mr Tamura, before adding, "I am happy that everything went well and I am so grateful to the IJF and President Vizer for giving me the chance to be part of this event in such a way."

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Libson, Portugal (October 2, 2021):-The Veteran and Kata World Championships will be held in Lisbon in Portugal from October 21 to 26, 2021 for the veterans while October 26 and 27 for the kata. Denis Weisser Is Optimistic About the Veterans World Championships The Veterans World Judo Championships will take place in Lisbon from 21st to 26th of October. More than 400 participants are registered. As expected, the largest participation comes from the European countries, with 217 athletes, including the host country Portugal that has registered 14 judoka so far. Veterans and Kata Worlds FAQ (COVID) The Veteran and Kata World Championships are fast approaching. They will be held in Lisbon in Portugal from 21st-26th October for the veterans and 26th-27th for the kata. WJD 2021: Solidarity The great annual educational gathering of the judo family, based on judo values, is approaching. On 28th October 2021, millions of judoka across the planet will meet physically and or digitally, to celebrate World Judo Day 2021. This year it is the theme of 'SOLIDARITY' which has been chosen and which will guide all the actions that will be carried out. Erasmus SchoolJudo.EU to Create a Better Society Giving judo lessons in schools and passing your experiences to a future generation tells us that judo means more than just a sport. Children need to be supported pedagogically so they can grow into well balanced individuals.

SPORTS DESK Islamabad (September 30, 2021):-The great annual educational gathering of the judo family, based on judo values, is approaching on 28th October 2021, millions of judoka across the planet will meet physically and or digitally, to celebrate World Judo Day 2021. This year it is the theme of 'SOLIDARITY' which has been chosen and which will guide all the actions that will be carried out. Despite the hardships due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the judo family has never been so united to overcome these trials and has proven it in the most beautiful way possible during the recent Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. As if catastrophe weren't enough, the world has been faced with other destructive plagues; political crises which threw thousands of refugees on the roads and climatic crises which endangered the very nature of life, continued to swarm over our heads. Yet all is not gloomy and there are many reasons to hope and dream. Celebrating solidarity between peoples at the very heart of our societies, beyond differences, is part of this hope that the judo community is keen to promote. On 28th October 28 2021, we will celebrate the ability of the judo family to come together around its values and its ability to share them with as many people as possible. We invite you, at your level, whether at the individual level or that of your club or your federation, to think of solidarity by telling yourself that the hand you extend today may be the one you need tomorrow. Often solidarity is limited within a group, between its members. Some would even like to reduce it to an inter-self that does not correspond to what judo teaches us. In judo, we are committed to acting together as far as our capacities for action allow. To speak and act in solidarity is to be open to others, it is to have a philosophical and humanist approach to society, it is to give in order to receive better and thus to maintain a virtuous circle beneficial for all.

SPORTS DESK Islamabad (September 27, 2021):-After Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the Zagreb Grand Prix, has ended successfully in Croatia. It was a very positive event, one which saw the advent of a new generation of athletes, some of whom will undoubtedly be in Paris in 2024, while others are already in the preparation phase for the Los Angeles Games in 2028. While these global events may seem far away, in reality things are slightly different. From May next year, the new Olympic qualification period will begin and from then on all efforts will be focused on the world circuit for gaining those valuable points. In the meantime, the Zagreb Grand Prix was a perfect test, in many ways. First of all and this is undoubtedly the most important for the athletes, while we are still in a pandemic period, judo is continuing in a good way. The safety and health of all is ensured, thanks to the health policy implemented by the IJF. Zagreb made it possible to reinforce this further. On the other hand, despite the logical absence of many heroes of the Japanese summer, the judo offered by all the judoka present was of a very high level, which heralds an exciting season for fans of our sport. Medal table of the Zagreb Grand Prix, Croatia 2021 -90kg: MEHDIYEV Wins second Gold for Azerbaijan Being under the pressure of having two penalties against him, Mammadali MEHDIYEV nevertheless, was the first and last to score, with a precise ko-soto-gake for ippon, leaving no escape possible for MAISURADZE. This is the second gold medal of the event for Azerbaijan. In the first bronze medal contest Wachid BORCHASHVILI (AUT), whose brother was Olympic bronze medallist this summer in Tokyo, faced Stanislav GUNCHENKO (UKR), who had no record at this level of competition, so far. A minute and 49 seconds of the golden score period were necessary for Wachid BORCHASHVILI to score ippon after a very close match that was only decided with penalties. With four grand prix bronze medals to his name already, Jesper SMINK (NED) had the possibility to add one more, competing against KHALMURZAEV Khusen (RUS), silver medallist at the Tashkent Grand Prix in 2019 and twin brother of 2016 Olympic Champion Khassan KHALMURZAEV. The latter won the bronze medal after his opponent received a third shido, one second before the end of the match, for a false attack, a mistake that cost him that final step on to the podium. Final MEHDIYEV Mammadali (AZE) vs MAISURADZE Luka (GEO) Bronze Medal Contests BORCHASHVILI Wachid (AUT) vs GUNCHENKO Stanislav (UKR) SMINK Jesper (NED) vs KHALMURZAEV Khusen (RUS) Final Results 1. MEHDIYEV Mammadali (AZE) 2. MAISURADZE Luka (GEO) 3. BORCHASHVILI Wachid (AUT) 3. KHALMURZAEV Khusen (RUS) 5. GUNCHENKO Stanislav (UKR) 5. SMINK Jesper (NED) 7. KALJULAID Klen Kristofer (EST) 7. GOZ Roland (HUN) -78kg: A Smiley Victory for STEVENSON Number 41 in the world, Sophie BERGER (BEL) and Teresa ZENKER (GER), ranked 50, were the contenders for the first bronze medal. It took more than three minutes for ZENKER to win with a waza-ari throw followed immediately by an immobilisation for ippon, but the German clearly dominated her opponent throughout the match. This is the first medal in a grand prix for the German competitor. The 2019 junior world silver medallist Renee VAN HARSELAAR (NED) faced the winner of the 2021 Sarajevo European Open Emma REID (GBR), for the second bronze medal. After two minutes REID took the lead with a sumi-gaeshi for waza-ari and then went to work on the floor, freeing her leg and pinning VAN HARSELAAR for ippon to win her first medal at a grand prix. Final STEVENSON Karen (NED) vs BROLIH Patricija (SLO) Bronze Medal Contests BERGER Sophie (BEL) vs ZENKER Teresa (GER) VAN HARSELAAR Renee (NED) vs REID Emma (GBR) Final Results 1. STEVENSON Karen (NED) 2. BROLIH Patricija (SLO) 3. ZENKER Teresa (GER) 3. REID Emma (GBR) 5. BERGER Sophie (BEL) 5. VAN HARSELAAR Renee (NED) 7. DZIOPA Paulina (POL) 7. SCHMID Lea (GER) -100kg: ADAMIAN Wins First Gold for Russia Arman ADAMIAN (RUS) produced his biggest effort in the semi-final against former world champion for Cuba Asley GONZALEZ, now competing under the Romanian flag. After a very close match, ADAMIAN had to wait until golden score to eventually notch up a waza-ari. In the final he was opposed to KURBJEWEIT GARCIA Dario (GER), who only had a fifth place in a grand prix to his name before the start of the Zagreb event. The host country had another chance to win a medal, with Marko KUMRIC (CRO) who faced Asley GONZALEZ (ROU) for a bronze. This was not an easy task but Marko KUMRIC, fully supported by a teammate present in the stands, delivered a great performance, scoring a waza-ari with sumi-gaeshi, probably the technique of the day and then keeping his advantage until the end. KUMRIC won the second medal for the home nation here in Zagreb. 23 year old Falk PETERSILKA (GER) competed against the winner of the Kazan Grand Slam this season, Simeon CATHARINA (NED), also 23 years old. Eri-seoi-otoshi and kata guruma combined for the winning ticket for Simeon CATHARINA to earn the bronze medal. Final ADAMIAN Arman (RUS) vs KURBJEWEIT GARCIA Dario (GER) Bronze Medal Contests PETERSILKA Falk (GER) vs CATHARINA Simeon (NED) KUMRIC Marko (CRO) vs GONZALEZ Asley (ROU) Final Results 1. ADAMIAN Arman (RUS) 2. KURBJEWEIT GARCIA Dario (GER) 3. CATHARINA Simeon (NED) 3. KUMRIC Marko (CRO) 5. PETERSILKA Falk (GER) 5. GONZALEZ Asley (ROU) 7. ZEKAJ Shpati (KOS)

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Islamabad:-It can now be said that the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games are part of the history of world judo; a magnificent history which ended in the most beautiful way after five years of fierce battles, first to obtain an Olympic qualification and second to reach the podium. From today, upon the opening of the 2021 Zagreb Grand Prix, Croatia, global judo has introduced a new chapter that promises to be exciting. In the months and weeks to come, athletes from all over the world will, for the oldest and most successful, try to regain their level from the previous Olympiad, while the youngest will try to gain valuable places in the world ranking in order to open the doors to the next Olympic Games in Paris in 2024. The Parisian rendezvous is less than three years from now. The new tactics and strategies will therefore have to be put in place quickly by the national federations. There's no time to lose! Thus, even if the Zagreb Grand Prix is placed in a transitional period, it already allows the drawing of lines for this current Olympic cycle. Just before the beginning of the first final block of this new era for international judo, during the opening ceremony, the President of the Croatian Judo Federation Dr Sanda Corak said, "After an absence of one year, welcome back to Croatia and Zagreb for the Grand Prix. We have the honour of having the Prime Minister of Croatia and the President of the IJF present. We are very happy to host a Grand Prix that enables young athletes to open a new cycle. This time we decided to do something a little different and that is why this will be a Grand Prix organised as an environmentally friendly event. Thus, we will calculate our carbon footprint and it will be the first event ever organised that way. I wish you the best of luck and to stay safe in Croatia and in Zagreb." Then Marius Vizer, President of the International Judo Federation, took the floor, "Your excellency Prime Minister, distinguished guests and participants, welcome to Zagreb. This is the first event after the Tokyo Olympic Games. I want to congratulate all participants of the Tokyo Olympics and also the first ever world champion for Croatia. Thank you for the continuous support of the Croatian authorities and government for the development of sports and judo in the country. Enjoy the Zagreb Grand Prix and good luck."  Andrej Plenkovic Prime minister of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, then declared the Zagreb Grand Prix open, "Dear athletes, dear participants, welcome, on behalf of the government, to this event organised by the IJF and the Croatian Judo Federation. Thank you for choosing our country. This is the first big judo competition after the Tokyo Olympics and all judoka are keen to show their skills. Judo is a great sport and the message of judo has been well received all over the world. Already more than 20 million people have joined the sport with its values so prominent, just as it is stated in the IJF anthem 'judo sempre vivra'. This Grand Prix will bring a lot of attention through social media and TV broadcasts. You have the full support of our government. I declare the Zagreb Grand Prix, Croatia, 2021, open." he first final of the day opposed two French athletes, as the u23 2020 European Champion Mélinie VIEU faced Blandine PONT, also a bronze medallist at the u23 European Championships. Team France performed so well during the Olympic Games but also has an amazing reservoir of top athletes, especially among the women. This was demonstrated again today with the final victory of Blandine PONT (FRA) who upset VIEU, winning with three clear shido. Young Katharina TANZER (AUT) was opposed to the experienced Milica NIKOLIC of Serbia, who has so far already won 17 medals on the World Judo Tour. The first minute was mainly spent on the floor, with a nice piece of ne-waza from the Austrian, but she could not conclude the match there. Until the last 45 seconds the match seemed quite balanced but NIKOLIC produced a strong piece of work from the end of the sleeves to score a waza-ari, completed with an immobilisation for the ippon. For the second bronze medal contest, Amber GERSJES (NED), junior world champion in 2017, met Natasha FERREIRA (BRA) for a place on the podium. With a waza-ari to each at the end of normal time, the competitors entered golden score. After three minutes of extra time, GERSJES scored a second waza-ari with a left-handed uchi-mata, to win her first medal in a Grand Prix. Final VIEU, Mélanie (FRA) vs PONT, Blandine (FRA) Bronze Medal Contests TANZER, Katharina (AUT) vs NIKOLIC, Milica (SRB) GERSJES, Amber (NED) vs FERREIRA, Natasha (BRA) Final Results 1 PONT Blandine (FRA) 2 VIEU Melanie (FRA) 3 NIKOLIC Milica (SRB) 3 GERSJES Amber (NED) 5 TANZER Katharina (AUT) 5 FERREIRA Natasha (BRA) 7 PLATTEN Amy (GBR) 7 SALENS Ellen (BEL) -60kg: HALL Concludes His Day With Gold 26 year old Samuel HALL (GBR), silver medallist at the 2015 European Junior Championships, is part of a generation of athletes who already have a little experience, without having yet really broken through at the international level and who came to Zagreb to test themselves on the world circuit at the start of this new cycle. That was a good idea for HALL, since he climbed to the final, where he met the Italian, two years younger than him, Angelo PANTANO, European junior champion in 2014. It was with a slow-motion hip movement that PANTANO scored a waza-ari to take the lead. Calmly but surely, HALL remained concentrated to eventually catch his opponent on the floor and push him to submit with a hadaka-jime for ippon and a beautiful first victory for him in a grand prix. Jolan FLORIMONT, a two time gold medallist at continental open level, could be one of those promising French athletes who might shine in the future. In the first bronze medal contest he faced another athlete with no record on the World Judo Tour, David STARKEL of Slovenia. Even though FLORIMONT always seemed a little dominated and behind in terms of rhythm, he was actually the one who was the most dangerous and an opportunist to score two clear waza-ari to win his first grand prix medal. The second bronze medal contest saw a veteran, compared to the other competitors of the category, Vincent LIMARE, facing the 20 year old Matan KOKOLAYEV of Israel. With one silver medal at the World Judo Masters and two Grand Slam medals to his name, LIMARE was a runner-up for the last Olympic qualification, missing out on a selection for Tokyo. Will this new cycle smile on the light weight Frenchman? Despite only a shido displayed on the scoreboard, the two athletes offered a really good match, full of action and acrobatic moves but that was not enough to discern a difference and a golden score period was necessary to determine the winner. After 1 minute 47 seconds, LIMARE eventually found the solution to score a liberating waza-ari. This is the third medal in a grand prix for the French judoka and a really good comeback at the top level. Final HALL, Samuel (GBR) vs PANTANO, Angelo (ITA) Bronze Medal Contests FLORIMONT, Jolan (FRA) vs STARKEL, David (SLO) LIMARE, Vincent (FRA) vs KOKOLAYEV, Matan (ISR) Final Results 1 HALL Samuel (GBR) 2 PANTANO Angelo (ITA) 3 FLORIMONT Jolan (FRA) 3 LIMARE Vincent (FRA) 5 STARKEL David (SLO) 5 KOKOLAYEV Matan (ISR) 7 JARING Emiel (NED) 7 KHALMATOV Dilshot (UKR) -52kg: RYHEUL Wanted it More Astride GNETO is not unknown on the World Judo Tour as she already experienced climbing on to the podium eight times, especially notable that she did this twice on the World Judo Masters podium. Her opponent in the final didn't have such a prize list but showed great skill during the preliminary rounds. Amber RYHEUL wanted it more. In a match where neither of the two athletes were really capable of changing the rhythm to find opportunities, it was the Belgian who proved to be more confident. In the golden score period she finally pinned down her opponent to score ippon and win a first gold medal in a grand prix. In the first bronze medal contest of the category, Annika WURFEL of Germany faced Martina CASTAGNOLA of Italy. For both athletes it was a debut at that level, no matter what the final result would be. The victory went to Annika WURFEL after Martina CASTAGNOLA was penalised for the third time. Youth Olympic Games bronze medallist Ana Viktorija PULJIZ (CRO) was the first representative of the host country in a position to win a medal. For the bronze medal contest she was opposed to the winner of the Zagreb European Open earlier this year, Izaskun BALLESTEROS GONZALEZ (ESP). After 26 seconds in golden score, the Spanish judoka was disqualified for a head dive, offering the first medal for the host nation to Ana Viktorija PULJIZ. Final GNETO, Astride (FRA) vs RYHEUL, Amber (BEL) Bronze Medal Contests WURFEL, Annika (GER) vs CASTAGNOLA, Martina (ITA) PULJIZ, Ana Viktorija (CRO) vs BALLESTEROS GONZALEZ, Izaskun (ESP) Final Results 1 RYHEUL Amber (BEL) 2 GNETO Astride (FRA) 3 WURFEL Annika (GER) 3 PULJIZ Ana Viktorija (CRO) 5 BALLESTEROS GONZALEZ Izaskun (ESP) 5 CASTAGNOLA Martina (ITA) 7 KUZNETSOVA Alesya (RUS) 7 JARRELL Katelyn (USA) -66kg: VIERU is Back! Number 18 in the World Ranking List, Denis VIERU, world championship bronze medallist, is one of those experienced athletes who came to Zagreb to re-launch their career. The Moldovan was among the outsiders for an Olympic medal in Tokyo but things did not go as he planned. Only 25 years old, VIERU now has a couple of years to prepare to perform in Paris. In the final he was opposed to Abula ABDULZHALILOV (RUS), already 30 and winner of two grand slams in his career. VIERU, with his beautiful judo style, waited for the ABDULZHALILOV storm to pass, controlling the attacks of his opponent with calmness, before concluding on the floor with a neat sankaku-jime attempt, followed by an immobilisation for ippon and a second grand prix gold medal. The first bronze medal contest saw Strahinja BUNCIC (SRB), fifth at the last European Championships and Karo MARANDIAN (UKR), second at the Warsaw Open in 2020, competing for a place on the podium. Both competitors were clearly lacking precision in their movements. Nevertheless, Karo MARANDIAN was able to score a waza-ari with ippon-ko-uchi-gake, that he protected until the end of the match, to win his first bronze medal in a grand prix. The second bronze medal was disputed between Aram GRIGORYAN (RUS), fifth place at the Kazan Grand Slam this season and Daniel PEREZ ROMAN (ESP), fifth at the Osaka Grand Slam in 2020. Half way to the end, GRIGORYAN scored a first waza-ari with an o-soto-gari, followed a few seconds later by another throw, for ippon this time, to harvest a fifth medal in a grand prix. Final VIERU, Denis (MDA) vs ABDULZHALILOV, Abula (RUS) Bronze Medal Contests BUNCIC, Strahinja (SRB) vs MARANDIAN, Karo (UKR) GRIGORYAN, Aram (RUS) vs PEREZ ROMAN, Daniels (ESP) Final Results 1 VIERU Denis (MDA) 2 ABDULZHALILOV Abdula (RUS) 3 GRIGORYAN Aram (RUS) 3 MARANDIAN Karo (UKR) 5 BUNCIC Strahinja (SRB) 5 PEREZ ROMAN Daniel (ESP) 7 IADOV Bogdan (UKR) 7 BUNESCU Vadim (MDA) -57kg: GNETO Collects a Second Gold for Team France The 2019 junior world medallist Pleuni CORNELISSE (NED) managed to reach the first grand prix final of her career, where she met Priscilla GNETO (FRA), Olympic bronze medallist in London 2012. The last final of the day was also the shortest as GNETO, not upset by the defeat of her sister in the final of the lower category, propelled CORNELISSE to the ceiling with a superb counterattack to conclude the day with a second gold medal for team France. Junior European champion in 2016, Pauline STARKE (GER) reached the bronze medal contest against her teammate Caroline FRITZE (GER), bronze medallist at a continental open only so far. The latter didn't give any chance to her opponent, scoring twice with massive attacks, the first after only a few seconds for a waza-ari and the second with a massive right-handed morot-seoi-nage, this time for ippon.   Kosovo has become one of the major players in international judo, now with three Olympic champions in the country. Flaka LOXHA (KOS) might represent the new generation of great future champions for Kosovo. Today she reached the bronze medal contest against Kaja KAJZER (SLO), already the holder of six medals at grand prix level. After almost one minute of golden score, KAJZER notched up a waza-ari with a shoulder movement to win the bronze medal. Flaka LOXHA will have to wait a little more until she reaches the level of her illustrious teammates, but her time will come. Final Pleuni CORNELISSE (NED) vs Priscilla GNETO (FRA) Bronze Medal Contests STARKE, Pauline (GER) vs FRITZE, Caroline (GER) LOXHA, Flaka (KOS) vs KAJZER, Kaja (SLO) Final Results 1 GNETO Priscilla (FRA) 2 CORNELISSE Pleuni (NED) 3 FRITZE Caroline (GER) 3 KAJZER Kaja (SLO) 5 STARKE Pauline (GER) 5 LOXHA Flaka (KOS) 7 TOPRAK Acelya (GBR) 7 LIBEER Mina (BEL)