The 4th category of the final block extended the idea that the understanding of these rules is almost complete. In the final Bouba (FRA) and Pashayev (AZE) worked fast, non-stop movement defining an exciting match for the crowd. Of course they chanted for their compatriot but it didn’t all go the crowd’s way and with less than two minutes to go, the Azerbaijani countered Bouba for a yuko. It proved to be a difficult score to chase. For the last 45 seconds of the contest Bouba outgripped his opponent but he did not produce an effective attack and so Pashayev capped his day with a Paris Grand Slam gold medal, his first grand slam gold.
Rashad Yelkiyev (AZE) and Walide Khyar (FRA), after an excellent morning, arrived in the final block to fight for a single bronze medal. Khyar brought excitement and elegance to the arena on day one in Paris while Yelkiyev delivered gymanstic and dynamic judo throughout the preliminary rounds. Khyar offered no signs of weakness at all. He fought with real panache and in this medal contest that style was combined with power in the form of an unstoppable o-uchi-gari.
In the second bronze medal contest, Murad Chopanov (IJF) and Olympic silver medallist Vazha Margvelashvili (GEO) thrilled the crowd. They grappled strongly, using the belt, the skirt, the sleeves, all material available to secure their desired positions. In the end though, despite a lot of movement and ingenuity from both, it was the very experienced Georgian who took the win. He threw for a waza-ari first with soto-maki-komi and then sealed the deal with a ko-soto-gake for ippon. This performance was full of class!
Final (-66 kg)
Bronze Medal Fights (-66 kg)
