Khusen Khalmurzaev is still in business with golden statement

Khusen Khalmurzaev, the other of the twin who fights U90kg qualified again for a final, this time in the occasion of the Grand Prix of Samsun. The Russian again proved to have exceptional talent although he was not among the favourites of the day. His opponent was Mammadali Mehdiyev of Azerbaijan.

After 45 seconds both athletes were penalised with a shido for blocking their opponent. One minute later, it was Mehdiyev’s turn to be penalised again for avoiding the fight. The next penalty given to both athletes, put the Azeri in danger, only one penalty away from the disqualification. Concluding a very tactical match, Khalmurzaev could keep the penalty difference in his benefit for a first Grand Prix victory for the Russian.

Mehdiyev had a difficult semi-final against the veteran of the day Tiago Camilo. 16 years ago, a record, the Brazilian was already present in Sydney, but it was in the U73kg weight category, where he obtained a silver medal losing to the Italian Giuseppe Maddaloni. 8 Years later he won the bronze in Beijing in U81kg and in London finished 5th. Still at the top level, Camilo was close to enter the final when Mehdiyev scored the yuko that opened the doors to a possible place on the top of the podium to the Azeri.

The first bronze medal fight saw Nikoloz Sherazadishvili (ESP) and Tiago Camilo (BRA) facing to step on the podium. After three minutes, Sherazadishvili was the first to score a waza-ari with an opportunistic counterattack. But what a fighter! Two seconds before the final gong, Camilo once again dropped on his knees for a superb drop-seoi-nage that was counted as a waza-ari, opening the doors of the golden score. A few seconds later, the Brazilian hooked the foot of Sherazadishvili with a ko-uchi-gari for a second waza-ari, offering him the bronze medal.

In the second bronze medal fight it was Patryk Ciechomski (POL) who was opposed to Dilshod Choriev (UZB). Choriev scored the first waza-ari with a left handed hane-goshi technique, close to a uchi-mata. Ciechomski had to take some risks. The Uzbek took the opportunity to counterattack the weak uchi-mata of the Polish to score a second waza-ari to conclude the fight. This is the sixth Grand Prix medal for Choriev.