What the Draw Might Offer on Day Six: -78 kg and -100 kg / IJF.org

Alice Bellandi sits at the top of the draw, the current world number one. She’s consistently on the podia of the World Judo Tour but in Tokyo, at the 2021 Games, she placed 7th and was devastated. In Paris, her objective is a podium finish, like those she reached recently in Abu Dhabi, Tashkent, Paris and beyond. Keldiyorova, Heydarov and Deguchi have all been able to hold their ranking and Alice is looking to do the same.

Bellandi vs Aguiar went Bellandi's way at the 2023 Masters.

The Olympic seedings at -78 kg tell us these should be the quarter-finals:

1 Bellandi (ITA)

8 Lytvynenko (UKR)

4 Ma (CHN)

5 Malonga (FRA)

2 Wagner (GER)

7 Takayama (JPN)

3 Lanir (ISR)

6 Steenhuis (NED)

Takayama was the winner at this year's Tashkent Grand Slam.

The semi-finals should therefore be:

Bellandi vs Ma

and

Wagner vs Lanir

If the ranking is obeyed fully, the gold medallist should be Alice Bellandi, beating current and double world champion Anna-Maria Wagner. However, Bellandi’s first fight will be against Mayra Aguiar, Brazil’s triple Olympic medallist and triple world champion. This is not the fight any world number one wants first! Aguiar was unseeded following a period of injury, a loose cannon in this context. Aguiar is never to be discounted; she has the ability and experience to go all the way.

Lanir, Yoon and Takayama all finished below Aguiar at the Tokyo Grand Slam, 2023.

The men’s category on day six will also deliver some huge contests. Double world champion Jorge Fonseca (POR) has been up and down in terms of form but he knows how to win on the biggest days. However, he is stuck in the middle of the third pool surrounded by Sulamanidze (GEO) and Wolf (JPN), massive throwers who also know how to win. Pool C is the one to watch.

Wolf and Sulamanidze at the 2023 Masters.

At the top of the draw though is Kotsoiev (AZE), an artist on the mat who finds spaces where there are none, who escapes when there is no escape, and he has worked hard for pole position. Giving it up is not on his agenda. In his pool is world medallist and European champion Peter Paltchik (ISR), unseeded but dangerous.

Kotsoieve threw Fonseca en route to gold at this year's world championships.

The Olympic seedings at -100 kg tell us these should be the quarter-finals:

1 Zelym Kotsoiev (AZE)

8 Gonchigsuren Batkhuyag (MGL)

4 Muzaffarbek Turoboyev (UZB)

5 Michael Korrel (NED)

2 Ilia Sulamanidze (GEO)

7 Jorge Fonseca (POR)

3 Shady Elnahas (CAN)

6 Nikoloz Sherazadishvili (ESP)

The semi-finals should therefore be:

Kotsoiev vs Turoboyev

and

Sulamanidze vs Elnahas

Turoboyev (UZB) on his way to gold at the 2023 World Judo Masters.

If the rankings were to be obeyed fully, the gold medallist would be Kotsoiev, beating Sulamanidze to the top spot in the final. Wolf, Elnahas and -90 kg world champion Sherazadishvili may disagree with these listings, among others!

Only 24 hours to go and the answers will become clear.