In the -63 kg category, Jessica Klimkait (CAN) and Nauana Silva (BRA) confirmed their form, while at -73 kg, France’s junior judoka Dayyan Boulemtafes stole the headlines by eliminating Olympic champion Hidayat Heydarov (AZE). The women’s -70 kg field followed the rankings as Giorgia Stangherlin (ITA) and Ida Eriksson (SWE) advanced to an all-European final, while the -81 kg division produced fresh storylines through the breakthroughs of John Milot and Mihajlo Simin (SRB). The preliminaries once again showed what makes the World Judo Tour so captivating; world champions can fall, outsiders can rise and every contest can shift the momentum of the day.
-63 kg: Klimkait and Silva Set Up a World-Class Final
Among the two Brazilian Silvas, it was the younger one, Nauana, the tournament’s top seed, who reached the semi-final, while her illustrious teammate Rafaela Silva fell earlier in the day to none other than world champion and Olympic medallist Jessica Klimkait (CAN). Their clash was one of the highlights of the day, a meeting between two decorated champions whose styles and intensity guaranteed spectacle. In the end, Klimkait prevailed in golden score, holding Silva in kuzure-kami-shiho-gatame for five seconds to secure the decisive point.
The Canadian went on to face France’s Rania Drid in the semi-final. Competing in her first major appearance on the World Judo Tour, Drid showed determination and resilience but the task proved too great against the experienced Klimkait, who advanced to the final comfortably.
Meanwhile, Nauana Silva lived up to her top-seed status, progressing through her side of the draw methodically. In the semi-final, she defeated Slovenia’s Kaja Kajzer, who had herself enjoyed a strong run earlier in the day. Silva’s solid gripping and sharp transitions ensured her place in the gold medal contest, a fitting conclusion to her consistent performance.
The final between Jessica Klimkait and Nauana Silva promised to be a showcase of contrasting styles, the explosive precision of the Canadian against the measured control of the Brazilian, and stood as one of the most anticipated match-ups of the Lima Grand Prix.
-73 kg: Boulemtafes Shines as Heydarov Falls Early
He may not have been the top seed but he was certainly the man everyone wanted to see. After a flawless 2024 season that saw him crowned European, world and Olympic champion, Azerbaijan’s Hidayat Heydarov arrived in Lima as the unquestioned favourite. Yet judo has a way of reminding even the greatest champions how fine the margins can be. On this occasion, it was France’s Dayyan Boulemtafes who stole the spotlight and the victory.
Boulemtafes approached the contest with composure and intent, solid in his stance, taking risks without exposing himself and dictating the grips with authority on his left side. Heydarov appeared unsettled, struggling to find rhythm against the Frenchman’s style. Then came the decisive moment, a perfectly timed sumi-gaeshi that sent Heydarov bridging to the mat; ippon, beyond dispute. The upset was complete.
Riding that momentum, Boulemtafes followed up with another impressive win over Chusniddin Karimov (CZE), an intense contest full of movement and continuous attacks, earning him a well-deserved spot in the semi-finals. Against Italy’s Leonardo Valeriani, the French judoka once again displayed his versatility and control, scoring a yuko with a sharp de-ashi-harai that could have earned more had Valeriani not managed to turn at the last instant. It was enough, though, enough to take Boulemtafes into the final, the reward for a day of determined, dynamic judo.
With the Olympic champion out early, Azerbaijan still had hope through top seed Rashid Mammadaliyev. He cleared his opening round but fell to Britain’s Irakli Goginashvili, a recent junior world bronze medallist who continued his fine form to reach the semi-finals. There, he met Brazil’s Daniel Cargnin, an Olympic medallist who had defeated 2023 world champion Nils Stump (SUI) earlier in the draw. Cargnin’s experience proved decisive as he secured his place in the final, sending 18 year old Goginashvili to fight for bronze.
The -73 kg category in Lima once again delivered the essence of world-class judo; unpredictability, courage and the emergence of new contenders ready to challenge even the most decorated names in the sport.
-70 kg: All-European Final
While surprises unfolded across several categories during the day, the -70 kg followed a more predictable path, as the top two seeds, Giorgia Stangherlin (ITA) and Ida Eriksson (SWE), advanced to the final steadily.
After a bye in the opening round, Stangherlin benefited from the withdrawal of Israel’s Maya Goshen, moving directly into the quarter-final. There, she overcame Brazil’s Ellen Froner before meeting compatriot Irene Pedrotti in the semi-final. In a measured and tactical contest, Stangherlin secured victory and a place in the gold medal match.
On the other side of the draw, Sweden’s Ida Eriksson showed equal consistency and sharpness. She defeated Rachael Hawkes (GBR), Adelina Novitsky (ISR) and Germany’s Giovanna Scoccimarro, each victory reinforcing her steady rise as one of Europe’s most reliable competitors in this weight category.
With both finalists representing Europe, the -70 kg final in Lima promised to be a strategic, high-level encounter between two judoka whose discipline and experience had carried them confidently through the day.
-81 kg: Rising Stars and Surprise Finalists
After a disappointing outing in the -73 kg category, Azerbaijan looked ready to bounce back at -81 kg through their top seed, Omar Rajabli. The experienced judoka delivered a strong start, defeating Luis Pariche (ECU) with a tai-otoshi for waza-ari followed by a pin with kata-gatame. He then advanced past Finland’s Eetu Ihanamaki by ippon, once again securing victory through groundwork. Confident and efficient, Rajabli appeared to be on course for the final, until the unexpected happened.
In the semi-final, he met John Milot (USA), a relatively unknown name on the World Judo Tour but one who had already impressed with a remarkable preliminary run. Against the odds, Milot continued his outstanding form, upsetting the top seed to claim a place in the final, a breakout performance that turned heads and earned widespread respect across the arena.
Elsewhere, in pool C Brazil’s Gabriel Falcao showed his growing maturity by overcoming every opponent in his path, including a strong Bright Maddaloni Nosa (ITA) in the quarter-final.
Meanwhile, in Pool D, Serbia’s Mihajlo Simin, still early in his senior career but already a junior world bronze medallist, delivered a confident campaign. When the two met in the semi-final, youth prevailed; Simin seized the moment, defeating Falcao and booking his place in the gold medal contest.
The -81 kg category in Lima captured the essence of judo’s unpredictability, where reputation matters less than resolve and where fresh talent like Milot and Simin can rise to challenge the established order on any given day.