Looking at the clock and trying to save time. To do that, he also started to attack without preparation, getting closer and closer to a false attack, which eventually happened one time, two times and a handful of seconds before the final gong and the Olympic title, a third time.
The penalty was unavoidable, it offered a well deserved title to Zelym Kotsoiev (AZE), the second for team Azerbaijan on the occasion of the Paris 2024 Games.
Bronze medal contests
Israel has been running after their first medal in judo since the beginning of the week. Peter Paltchik (ISR) had the possibility to open the count against Daniel Eich (SUI). The contest was tense, very close, but Paltchik gave the impression that he had all the cards in hand to win. Eich never gave up though and offered a fierce battle to the Israeli judoka.
When Paltchik scored a waza-ari, things were not over and he had to manage the penalties to finally enjoy his first Olympic medal. There was a little bit of uncertainty at the end. Did Paltchik have two or three penalties. He clearly had two and the two men hugged each other for a long time.
The second bronze medal contest was decided faster with Muzaffarbek Turoboyev (UZB) finding the solution against Nikoloz Sherazadishvili quickly (ESP), throwing him twice within a few seconds, first with a uchi-mata and then with a massive makikomi, to win his first ever Olympic medal.
Semi-finals
It took only twelve seconds for Ilia Sulamanidze (GEO) to send Daniel Eich to the bronze medal contest. The Swiss tried a little ko-soto-gake that Sulamanidze saw coming. He countered immediately and within a second Eich was flat on his back already. Twelve seconds and the Georgian is in the final!
A few weeks ago, Zelym Kotsoiev (AZE) entered the final of the Abu Dhabi World Championships and overpowered his opponent to win his first world title. In the UAE it was Shady Elnahas (CAN), while today Kotsoiev faced the 2022 world champion, Muzaffarbek Turoboyev (UZB). Before the contest began, it was already known that the winner would face Sulamanidze. The match was spectacular, lively on both sides, but it was thanks to a backward movement that Kotsoiev earned his ticket to the final, the same move that had won him the gold medal in Abu Dhabi. Was it a sign?
Repechage
The first repechage bout was between Peter Paltchik (ISR) and Michael Korrel (NED). During the first four minutes, the two judoka totally neutralised each other, offering little opportunity to their opponent to apply an effective technique. During golden score, it was finally Paltchik who converted the first opportunity with a masterful o-soto-otoshi that sent Korrel flat on his back for ippon.
Aaron Wolf (JPN) and Nikoloz Sherazadishvili (ESP) were the next two judoka to step on the tatami, for the second bronze medal contest. We witnessed another intense contest, where there was a lot at stake. For Wolf, it was about staying on the podium after his title in Tokyo three years ago. For Sherazadishvili it was about showing that his move to the upper category was a tough challenge but that it was worth it. Golden score arrived and the athletes were still to decide the winner, but wolf launched his uchi-mata, one Nikoloz Sherazadishvili anticipated. He passed the leg and applied his own uchi-mata that rolled the Japanese champion on his back. It was over for the reigning Olympic champion.