Four Dutch judoka and two Swedish in the final in Tbilisi

For the first time in the history two Swedish athletes are in the final of an IJF World Tour event. Marcus Nyman again qualified for the final, just like in Dusseldorf this year in the category U90kg. Also Martin Pacek managed to reach the final in the division U100kg. He will meet Iranian Javad Mahjoub, Nyman will fight Dutchman Noël van ‘t End who celebrated his comeback with a guaranteed medal in Tbilisi. Both fighters never met before in a match.

Another Dutchman is in the final +100kg, Roy Meyer won his pool and defeated Aslan Kambiev in the semis, he will meet another well known opponent Or Sasson of Israel who beat Meyer in Düsseldorf. Meyer bested Sasson in Paris last year, but the score is 3-1 for the taller Sasson.

Speaking about Dutch judoka, it’s an all Dutch final U78kg with their strongest women Guusje Steenhuis and Marhinde Verkerk. A match for the honour as Steenhuis defeated Verkerk in Düsseldorf but it was Verkerk who was nominated for the Olympic Games recently. Steenhuis would like to win her nemesis, although qualification wasn’t based up the matches between the two. Steenhuis defeated Natalie Powell (GBR), Verkerk overcame Mayra Aguiar of Brazil in the semis.

Brazil does have a finalist though, as Maria Suelen Altheman again proved her tremendous form by defeating Ma Sisi of China. Kayra Sayit of Turkey is back in a final, she defeated Svitlana Iaromka of the Ukraine in the semi. Sayit and Altheman never met before.