The tournament is also the first grand slam of this new Olympic cycle, a series that promises to be long, since it will only end in four years in Los Angeles. In the meantime, the judo family and all the national federations have already turned the page on Paris and are now working on preparing the new generation of judoka, which started to emerge during the recent cadets and juniors world championships.
Thus, from the first contests this morning, we discovered fresh judoka who dream of shining on the international scene. New judoka also means new countries, that's why the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam is a dream testing ground for many delegations. This is the case for the Philippines or the Democratic Republic of the Congo for example, while countries more accustomed to the world circuit are also present in the Emirates with judoka looking for international experience.
This day was marked by the victories of Sabina Giliazova (IJF), Iznaur Saaev (IJF), Murad Chopanov (IJF) and Seija Ballhaus (GER). Finally, there was Khorloodoi Bishrelt (UAE) whose gold medal is a first for the host country. Warmly congratulated by the President of the UAE Judo Federation, H.E Mohamed Bin Thaaloob Alderei, Khorloodoi Bishrelt, who had to date won a bronze medal in a grand prix, made judo history in the Emirates by climbing to the top step of the podium. Her performance will undoubtedly inspire generations of young women here and elsewhere. Over all these years, judo has continued to grow in stature in Abu Dhabi. This first and new gold medal is the symbol of this first day of competition.
On day 2 of the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam 2024 in the United Arab Emirates, four more categories will be in action. All the action, whether following the incumbents or the debutants, will be live on JudoTV. See you there!