The Rookies

Vieru went out on the tatami in borrowed clothes and if he was angry or more determined, it was impossible to tell because his body language remains unchanged in combat, at a bar counter or in line before boarding a plane. However, in the end, we discovered that he was uncomfortable. First he dispatched the Cypriot Georgios Balarjishvili but only after a golden score period in which he deposited a lot of energy. Next on the list was the Mongolian Narmandakh Bayanmunkh; another golden score, two shido against and Vieru less impassive than usual. The Moldovan attacked but Bayanmunkh was waiting for him: error, ippon and home. There was no news of the suitcase. If the elimination of the world number one constituted an earthquake, on the other side of the table seismic shocks were also recorded. 

Vieru's natural enemy in Zagreb was Vazha Margvelashvili, Olympic silver medallist and a regular podium candidate. However, these are not good times for the Georgian, who has been accumulating unexpected defeats for months. Yes, it's true, he has won two bronzes, in Paris and Tbilisi, but a little more was expected of him, especially in Zagreb where he fell at the first hurdle against the Serbian Strahinja Buncic. 

While this was happening, a third party was rubbing his hands. The Kazakh Yeldos Smetov also chose Croatia to take the temperature of the world circuit. The double Olympic medallist is a fearsome judoka. If, in addition, they clear the way for tough opponents, then even better. Smetov settled his first match against the Israeli Kokolayev and saw Buncic do the dirty work against Margvelashvili. Smetov eliminated Buncic but then got a taste of his own medicine at the hands of Azerbaijani Yashar Najafov, who then blew out Bulgarian Yanislav Gerchev in the semi-finals. 

At 28 years old, Matteo Piras is number 210 in the world. In other words, his name is not the first that comes to mind when making predictions, but Piras likes to be contrary. After taking silver in the Mediterranean Games, Piras has decided to extend his streak and Zagreb is not a bad place to bang the table. The Italian defeated the Romanian Lucian Bors Dumitrescu and won his passport to a first final on the World Judo Tour, which means it's never too late to start, you just need to believe. 

Both Piras and Najafov were contesting their first final at this level. They were rookies, but rookies with golden aspirations and that's what makes this sport great, because anyone can win, even the most modest. The illusion of reaching a goal works, like work, and both worked hard in Zagreb. There had to be a winner and Nafajov scored waza-ari, debuting his international record. 

Bayanmunkh added a bronze for Mongolia’s tally by defeating Gerchev in golden score. 

Dutchman Ivo Verhorstert is not your typical Dutchman. Accustomed to seeing tall, strong men and women who make the Netherlands a respected team in the heavyweight classes, seeing a lightweight from that country is a refreshing novelty. Verhorstert earned a place in the fight for a bronze, but for that he had to get past the Romanian Bors Dumitrescu. The most difficult thing was not to score the waza-ari, something that Verhorstert managed after three attacks, but to escape a third shido, which would have thrown away all the efforts of the Dutchman. The problem was that the Romanian reacted immediately and returned the compliment with an equalising waza-ari. They both deserved to win because they gave it their all, attacking relentlessly, which is what we all want to see. In golden score the Dutchman won a bronze that opens up new possibilities for his team.