The final was an all-Georgian affair but spanning two generations. Three-time senior world champion Tato was opposed by junior world champion Luka Javakhishvili.
It took time for the competitors to warm-up into the contest and after 90 seconds Tato received a shido. This fired him up and he never looked back, piling on the pressure and making it impossible for his younger teammate to do anything. He scored a yuko and then forced two penalties against the junior. He then made space on the floor and held him down. It was a demonstration of their differences and a reminder to the younger generations that no matter what they have achieved at junior level, the jump to seniors is not always straight forward.
In the first bronze medal contest of the third final block in Linz, Aaron Santamaria Rodriguez (ESP) and Maxime-Gael Ngayap Hambou (FRA) took to the tatami. Santamaria Rodriguez, certainly the underdog, pushed the French favourite to his limits but patience and focus were Ngayap-Hambou’s secret weapons. Deep into golden score, the Spanish judoka attacked, hooking on to the Frenchman’s outside leg; simply countered and sending the medal to France.
The second of the two bronze medals would go to either Shunta Nakamura (JPN) or number one seed Rafael Macedo (BRA), after he lost his semi-final to an inspired Tato Grigalashvili.
Macedo’s underwhelming day continued to frustrate him as Nakamura out-attacked him in almost every exchange. A lack of score-worthy moments left the contest being decided on penalties and it was Macedo who suffered.
Final (-90 kg)
Bronze Medal Fights (-90 kg)
