No Country For Old Men

On Saturday 9th July Hidayat Heydarov crowned Everest, defeating the current world champion and number one in the ranking, Lasha Shavdatuashvili, in the final of Grand Slam Hungary. Seven days later, the Zagreb Grand Prix was the tomb of the Azeri and the recovery of the lost throne for the Georgian, but only for a couple of rounds. Heydarov was eliminated by the Belgian Abdul Malik Umayev, who crushed him with two unappealable waza-ari. 

Shavdatuashvili is the opponent nobody wants, even when he loses and that doesn't happen often. The Zagreb tournament is showing a very high level, even higher than some grand slams and these are the words of several personal coaches. The Georgian fell with a crash in the third round to Pedro Medeiros, who scored two waza-ari to none from the world champion and we can't remember the last time he lost that way. The old guard had serious problems, the last of them in the form of the other Azerbaijani, Rustam Orujov, who concluded his Croatian career buried by the Slovenian Martin Hojak. 

It was a no man's land, but a couple of representatives of the aristocracy remained. First, the former world number one Manuel Lombardo. The Italian executed Umayev unceremoniously. The second, Daniel Cargnin. The Brazilian defeated Hojak and met Lombardo in the semi-finals. Above, the Cuban Magdiel Estrada, who came hot from Budapest, met with the Korean Eunkyul Lee for a place in the final. Lombardo easily won, and so did Estrada. Everything was set for the last contest.

Lombardo, very discreet in recent months, came back in a big way with an anthological ippon at thirteen seconds. The category is not a country for old men, well, not for everyone, some endure with elegance and power. 

Brazil secured a second bronze medal thanks to the confrontation between Medeiros and Cargnin. The second began as the favourite, but since they know each other perfectly, the best thing was to wait and see without risking any forecast. Cargnin stunned Medeiros with a sweep that turned into waza-ari, completing the victory with ippon seconds later. It was nice and logical. 

Hojak and Lee was something else. Korean Lee did not mind participating in his first final block in a grand prix. He went out on to the mat as if it were the most normal thing in the world and that is how medals are won. Hojak already had two, in principle he had more experience. It was a rough fight, with chances on both sides. Lee made the master move because he scored waza-ari with five seconds left, like a confirmed champion.