Zelym Kotsoiev (AZE), Peter Paltchik (ISR), Muzaffarbek Turoboyev (UZB), Michael Korrel (NED), Ilia Sulamanidze (GEO), Jorge Fonseca (POR), Aaron Wolf (JPN), Shady Elnahas (CAN), Nikoloz Sherazadishvili (ESP)... You wanted possible medallists? You can name so many.
With so many contenders, we knew that not all of them could be happy at the end of the day. Reigning world champion from a few weeks ago in Abu Dhabi, Zelym Kotsoiev progressed quietly through the first rounds by first eliminating Piotr Kuczera (POL), then Peter Paltchik, victor against the Frenchman Aurélien Diesse in the previous round, after a contest of rare intensity.
Thanks to his immense reach, Muzaffarbek Turoboyev first beat Nurlykhan Sharkhan (KAZ), who had beaten Toma Nikiforov (BEL) in the first round. It was then Michael Korrel who stood in front of the Uzbek giant, but he did not tremble and sent the Dutchman to the mat thanks to one of his very wide movements.
Pool C was highly anticipated, because it featured one of the strong men of the moment, Ilia Sulamanidze, but also a former double world champion and Olympic medallist, Jorge Fonseca, and the defending champion, Aaron Wolf. Wolf demonstrated his talent against Aaron Fara (AUT) and Fonseca, with a masterful uchi-mata a few seconds from the end but against Sulamanidze, the Japanese did not find the solution and bowed out at the hands of a waza-ari. A new Olympic champion was on the horizon.
Finally in pool D, it was the Swiss Daniel Eich who made the best impression. Solid, serious on his hands and on his legs, Eich collected victories to reach the semi-finals.
Semi-finals
Zelym Kotsoiev (AZE) vs Muzaffarbek Turoboyev (UZB)
Ilia Sulamanidze (GEO) vs Daniel Eich
Repechages
Peter Paltchik (ISR) vs Michael Korrel (NED)
Aaron Wolf (JPN) vs Nikoloz Sherazadishvili (ESP)