Shaken, Not Stirred / IJF.org

Some bloom in the autumn. They like the cold and the aroma of the end of the year. Lucy Renshall (GBR) is one of those. Others appear in the important moments, those that count to fatten a record of services by collecting prey of big game. Tsogtbaatar Tsend-Ochir (MGL) is their best exponent. There are also those with pending accounts and the need to settle them. This is the case of Matthias Casse (BEL). And, almost always, there are some Japanese who do what they want. If we take all of this and shake it up we get a nice judo cocktail on the second day of the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam; shaken, not stirred.

-63kg A Sweet Year

Not everyone has had a bad time in 2021. Lucy Renshall, for example, has used the year to do more than just confine herself to home. The British athlete started the year quietly and as time passed her performance improved until it reached its peak. Gold in Antalya, silver in Paris and again gold in Baku; it is clear that this is her year. In Abu Dhabi she had a final that was announced as bittersweet against a strong opponent, but she came from home with tonnes of sugar. In front of her was Sanne Vermeer, three years younger and also with an excellent year behind her, but where Renshall oscillates between gold and silver, the Dutch competitor has not passed bronze in 2021.

Vermeer scored waza-ari, looking fresher and with a well-established plan. Renshall was trying the uchi-mata but her attacks were predictable until she changed and surprised Vermeer with ko-soto-gake. 1-1 and golden score, the third in a row of the day. Renshall finished off with seoi-nage and won another autumn title. Vermeer changed the colour of her medal but it is not gold yet.

“I’ve got confidence after getting medals in Paris and then Baku. This is the last event of the year and I had to do well. I was tired today but I pushed through,” Renshall declared.

In the battle for the first bronze, Australian Katharina Haecker surprised the world by winning gold in Tel Aviv a year ago but needed something more to defeat Slovenian Andreja Leski, first seed in Abu Dhabi and who had already surpassed Haecker in their three previous matches. Haecker took the initiative and her right hand commanded the kumi-kata. They reached golden score, already with two shido. Haecker applied the osoto-gari but Leski's reaction was brutal with an explosive seoi-nage. Bronze and 4 wins to 0 for Leski.

The second bronze was the classic opposition between past and future: 34 year old Brazilian Ketleyn Quadros versus 21 year old Czech Renata Zachova. There was also a golden score period, which favoured the younger judoka, although the initiative belonged to the Brazilian. With two shido against the Czech she had to be careful because Quadros used her experience to accumulate attacks and provoke a third shido against Zachova. That's what happened, the bronze for Quadros and a lesson in managing a medal match for Zachova.

Medals, cheques and flowers were presented by IJF Vice President and President of the Judo Union of Asia, Mr Obaid Al Anzi and President of the Arab Judo Federation and President of the Judo Federation of Yemen, Mr Noman Shaher

Final

VERMEER Sanne (NED) vs RENSHALL Lucy (GBR)

Bronze Medal Fights

QUADROS Ketleyn (BRA) vs ZACHOVA Renata (CZE)LESKI Andreja (SLO) vs HAECKER Katharina (AUS)

Final Results

1. RENSHALL Lucy (GBR)

2. VERMEER Sanne (NED)

3. LESKI Andreja (SLO)

3. QUADROS Ketleyn (BRA)

5. HAECKER Katharina (AUS)

5. ZACHOVA Renata (CZE)

7. SHARIR Gili (ISR)

7. DAVYDOVA Daria (RUS)

-73kg New Boss

Lasha Shavdatuashvili doesn't need a business card, but for those who live in another galaxy, suffice it to say that the Georgian is current world champion, Olympic runner-up and has won it all. With those credentials he performed in Abu Dhabi and reached the semi-finals, which is logical. There was nothing more because he lost against the Uzbek Khikmatillokh Turaev, a rock who saw the opportunity to include a new notch in his rifle and not just because Shavdatuashvili loses few times. Turaev illustrated what a tournament of this level really means because after eliminating a living legend, he had to face in the final a man who is on his way to becoming one of the greatest. Tsend-Ochir was second in the world rankings, with bronze at the Tokyo Games and is a multi-medallist in 2021, including two golds, from Tashkent and Tbilisi. He still does not reach the dimension of Shavdatuashvili but he is getting closer.

With the Georgian out of the final, it remained to be seen if Turaev could surpass the new Mongolian sensation. Tsend-Ochir is very agile, very fast and has learned to bide his time like a veteran hardened in a thousand battles. He first launched with ura-nage for waza-ari and a few seconds later he concluded via osaekomi. Tsend-Ochir has become a complete judoka and yes, he is doing much more than approaching the top because from now on he is the new world number one.

“I am very happy to participate in the last edition of 2021 IJF Grand Slam Abu Dhabi. I made it a goal after the Olympic Games to win the gold in Abu Dhabi. My IJF ranking is number one now and I would like to dedicate this achievement to my family, especially my new born baby. Thank you very much to all IJF members and staff and to all judo fans around the world,” were his first words.

Armen Agaian won the bronze. The Russian defeated Tajiko Somon Makhmadbekov by ippon with a monumental ouchi-gari, also in golden score.

Shavdatuashvili won the second bronze. After an exhausting day with all his bouts decided in golden score, his fight against Slovenian Martin Hojak was anything but a mere formality. Another golden score but bronze at the end of a very long road.

Medals, cheques and flowers were presented by Vice President and President of the African Judo Union, Mr Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko and President of the Uzbekistan Judo Federation and Vice President of the Uzbekistan National Olympic Committee, Mr Azizjon Kamilov