JUDO: Azerbaijan scores seven medals to lead Japan in Baku Grand Slam

Brazil's Olympic Champion Rafaela Silva (in blue) (Photo: IJF/Gabriela Sabau)

A large field of 431 judoka from 57 countries entered the Baku Grand Slam, and the home team came through with the most medals.

Azerbaijani fighters collected seven medals in all, including a win from Hidayat Heydarov in 73 kg, plus two silver medals and four bronzes for a total of seven. That was two better than Japan (5) and three more than Spain and Russia (4).

Japan and Brazil were the only countries with two wins. The Japanese, which sent a parial squad of their top judoka, had victories by Miko Tashiro in the women’s 63 kg class and from two-time World Champion Chizuru Arai in the women’s 70 kg division.

Brazil’s 2016 Olympic star Rafaela Silva showed she will be in the conversation in Tokyo next year with another win at 57 kg, and Felipe Kitadai won the men’s 60 kg class. Summaries:

IJF World Tour/Baku Grand Slam
Baku (AZE) ~ 10-12 May 2019
(Full results here)

Men

-60 kg: 1. Felipe Kitadai (BRA); 2. Temur Nozadze (GEO); 3. Amartusvshin Dashdavaa (MGL) and Yago Abuladze (RUS).

-66 kg: 1. Denis Vieru (MDA); 2. Nijat Shikhalizada (AZE); 3. Bogdan Iadov (UKR) and Baskhuu Yondonperenlei (MGL).

-73 kg: 1. Hidayat Heydarov (AZE); 2. Tohar Butbul (ISR); 3. Telman Valiyev (AZE) and Rustam Orujov (AZE).

-81 kg: 1. Sagi Muki (ISR); 2. Ivaylo Ivanov (BUL); 3. Matthias Casse (BEL) and Tato Grigalashvili (GEO).

-90 kg: 1. Nemanja Majdov (SRB); 2. Mammadali Mehdiyev (AZE); 3. Krisztian Toth (HUN) and Nikoloz Sherazadishvili (ESP).

-100 kg: 1. Michael Korrel (NED); 2. Kazbek Zankishiev (RUS); 3. Zelym Kotsoiev (AZE) and Benjamin Fletcher (IRL).

+100 kg: 1. Gela Zaalishvili (GEO); 2. Ruslan Shakhbazov (RUS); 3. Vladut Simionescu (ROU) and Anton Krivobokov (RUS).

Women

-48 kg: 1. Laura Martinez Abelenda (ESP); 2. Julia Figueroa (ESP); 3. Catarina Costa (POR) and Milica Nikolic (SRB).

-52 kg: 1. Amandine Buchard (FRA); 2. Ai Shishime (JPN); 3. Gefen Primo (ISR) and Larissa Pimenta (BRA).

-57 kg: 1. Rafaela Silva (BRA); 2. Tsukasa Yoshida (JPN); 3. Helene Receveaux (FRA) and Hedvig Karakas (HUN).

-63 kg: 1. Miku Tashiro (JPN); 2. Tina Trstenjak (SRB); 3. Juul Franssen (NED) and Martyna Trados (GER).

-70 kg: 1. Chizuru Arai (JPN); 2. Anna Berholm (SWE); 3. Maria Bernabeu (ESP) and Gemma Howell (GBR).

-78 kg: 1. Luise Malzahn (GER); 2. Anna Maria Wagner (GER); 3. Shori Hamada (JPN) and Madeleine Malonga (FRA).

+78 kg: 1. Yalyzaveta Kalanina (UKR); 2. Larisa Ceric (BIH); 3. Iryna Kindzerska (AZE) and Anamari Veleksek (SLO).