Champion
Name: ABE Hifumi Country: Japan Weight category: -66kg World ranking: 1 Best result: World Championships gold
World champion ABE Hifumi (JPN) has won his last 32 contests and is undefeated since 2015. The 20-year-old, whose younger sister ABE Uta is the junior world champion, has produced a flurry of ippons which have lit up the IJF World Judo Tour.
Kobe-based judoka ABE burst onto the global radar with his 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympics victory, won five of his six World Championships contests by ippon, to cap a stunning debut at the crown jewel of the IJF’s international calendar.
The Nippon Sport Science University student will be expected to deliver another mercurial display on Friday as the long-time Tokyo 2020 poster boy is on the brink of superstardom in his homeland.
As the world number one ABE has a first round bye and will begin his competition against the winner of the opening round clash between Sebastian PEREZ (CHI) and surprise European silver medallist MEDVES Matteo (ITA).
Contender
Name: Inal TASOEV Country: Russia Weight category: +100kg World ranking: 27 Best result: Antalya Grand Prix gold
Antalya Grand Prix winner Inal TASOEV is the reigning Junior world champion and showed his potential by defeating leading heavyweights in Turkey in April.
The 20-year-old defeated four-time Grand Slam winner KIM Sungmin (KOR) and 10-time Grand Prix medallist Javad MAHJOUB (IRI) in a remarkable Grand Prix debut.
TASOEV looks like the heavyweight Russia have been searching for in recent years as they have struggled to find a long-term replacement for the legendary Alexander MIKHAYLIN.
Their latest heir apparent was left out of their European Championships team with some judo aficionados speculating that TASOEV has already been installed as Russia’s number one in the heavyweight category and that he is being carefully nurtured for bigger honours in the near future.
World number 27 TASOEV starts his competition in the second round against 2017 Zagreb Grand Prix bronze medallist Vladut SIMIONESCU (ROU).
Watch the #JudoZagreb2018 live and free from Friday 27 July – Sunday 29 July here on the IJF website.