Beka Gviniashvili shows guts in final against Khalmurzaev

Former World Judo Masters winner Beka Gviniashvili of Georgia may only be 21 years old but he is one of the most decorated and talented judoka in the sport and is just getting started. The Georgian won his fifth Grand Prix gold medal on Sunday with a mercurial display that illustrated why he is the golden boy of Georgian judo.

World Judo Masters runner-up Khusen Khalmurzaev (RUS), who himself is 23 years old, absorbed the power and tenacity of his foe until the last 10 seconds when the Rio 2016 Olympian had plenty in reserve and threw with a huge makikomi effort for a waza-ari before seizing the osaekomi in the form of a kuzure-ushiro-kesa-gatame for gold.

In the first semi-final 19-year-old Eduard Trippel (GER), who defeated Tokyo Grand Slam silver medallist Nishiyama Daiki (JPN) in the quarter-finals in golden score, came undone against former World Judo Masters winner Beka Gviniashvili (GEO). A flashy piece of ashi-waza from the Georgian was worthy of a waza-ari score and former Cadet European Championships bronze medallist gave everything but could find a way onto the scoreboard. In the second semi-final Tbilisi Grand Prix bronze medallist Nikoloz Sherazadishvili (ESP) succumbed to World Judo Masters runner-up Khusen Khalmurzaev (RUS) by ippon as the Spaniard slipped into the repechage and the Russian moved into the final.

The first bronze medal was awarded to world number 20 Nishiyama Daiki (JPN) who telegraphed a ko-soto attack from world number 31 Sherazadishvili and countered for a waza-ari before pinning the latter in osaekomi for ippon.              

The second bronze medal went to Paris Grand Slam bronze medallist Mihael Zgank (SLO) as Trippel was denied a home medal after a breakthrough performance. Trippel, who was fighting to become the first German man to medal this weekend, took the lead with a waza-ari from an osoto-makikomi before Zgank restored level terms with 30 seconds remaining from a koshi-guruma. Zgank was not done there as he threw the young German with a sumi-gaeshi for a second waza-ari with eight seconds left on the clock.