+90 kg: Adilzhan Zhaudinov Wins Kazakhstan’s Third Gold in Guayaquil

Zhaudinov has won gold at every international event he has entered this year. He has experience, resilience and powerful judo, all of which he used perfectly to keep Koga Terukina (JPN) at bay. As they went into golden score, Terukina attacked without breaking balance, a fundamental part of a successful technique. Zhaudinov was ready for it and countered for ippon. That first hurdle was his toughest and so he won his subsequent contests without the need for extra time.

Final: Abdulmanaf Ramazanov (RUS) vs Adilzhan Zhaudinov (KAZ)

For far too long the judoka cancelled each other out. They made it impossible for each other to attack convincingly and so they each collected two penalties. Spurred on by the knowledge that any mistake or lack of intensity could earn a third shido, Adilzhan Zhaudinov came in for the only properly prepared attack on the contest and threw Ramazanov for ippon with an ashi-guruma.

After the final Adilzhan Zhaudinov spoke ecstatically about his win, “I am so happy that I cannot describe these emotions in words. The key to the final was that my personal coach and our head national coach set up a solid strategy and I handled the task. I prepared immensely for this, working closely with the head coach.”

Bronze medal contest: Tsvetomir Valkov (BUL) vs Azriel Dikena Diffo (FRA)

Failed attacks and unprepared movements gave rise to a number of penalties in this contest. Both judoka worked hard but without the precision needed. As the golden score period began, each competitor already had 2 penalties and so any mistake from this point on would end the debate. It was Dikena Diffo who earned the third shido, for non-combativity, delivering the bronze medal to Tsvetomir Valkov and Bulgaria.

Bronze medal contest: Marko Vujica (CRO) vs Alibek Durdiev (UZB)

Alibek Durdiev was the number one seed coming into the event and almost obeyed his ranking, losing only in the semi-final stage to an unseeded Russian, Ramazanov, who surprised everyone in Guayaquil.

In the bronze medal contest, Marko Vujica was the author of a new surprise. Right on the edge of the contest area, he attacked with a seoi-otoshi. It did not score and as Durdiev stood up, perhaps thinking ‘mate’ would be called, Vujica picked him up and threw for ippon. The whole movement had stayed just inside the contest area and so there was no discussion.