Uzbek comeback leads to European success

The second day of the Kazakhstan Barysy Grand Slam kicked off with a vibrant ceremony showcasing a variety of cultural performances and speeches from notable figures including the Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, the IJF director general, and the president of the Kazakhstan Judo Federation.

In the 63kg category, 22-year-old Croatian judoka Katarina Kristo faced off against Slovenian Andreja Leski. Kristo, a rising star, managed to defeat the experienced Leski to claim her first grand slam gold medal. The medals were presented by Kazakhstan’s Minister of Tourism & Sport, Yermek Marzhikpayev.

Kristo expressed her gratitude for the enthusiastic crowd, stating, “You can see that they love judo and they are not just sitting there. They are cheering you on, even if you are not from their country. When you score, they live that moment with you and I really love to fight here.”

In the 73kg final, Italian judoka Manuel Lombardo took on neutral competitor Danil Lavrentev. Lombardo surprised Lavrentev with a quick throw, securing his 4th grand slam gold medal. His victory was awarded by Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister, Galymzhan Koishybayev.

The day also saw junior Tais Pina of Portugal making a mark in the 70kg category by defeating Croatian World Medallist Lara Cvjetko. Uzbek judoka Sharofiddin Boltaboev made a strong comeback in the 81kg final, dominating the match against Germany’s Timo Cavelius.

Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister expressed his gratitude to the International Judo Federation for choosing Kazakhstan to host the ranking tournament for the Olympic Games in Paris. With the final day of the Grand Slam set for Sunday, the competition promises to continue delivering thrilling judo action.