Double world champion Takato seals sixth straight gold medal

Japanese judoka Takato Naohisa won his sixth competition in a row to extend his winning run to 26 straight contests. The two-time world champion met Antalya Grand Prix bronze medallist Adonis Diaz (USA) in a first time encounter as the world number 24 from America was a shock finalist in Croatia.

Eight-time Grand Slam winner Takato won his second Grand Prix title in just 57 seconds with a crunching ouchi-gari earning ippon to provide his first Grand Prix title since his 2014 victory in his happy hunting ground of Budapest.   Takato, who went unbeaten from 2012 until 2014, is putting together a similar run now having been undefeated on the international stage since 2016.

Park 24 judoka Takato has won the Paris Grand Slam, Asian Championships, World Championships, Tokyo Grand Slam, Prague European Open and now the Zagreb Grand Prix in a row with 18 of his 26 consecutive contest wins coming by way of ippon.

“I decided that I want to fight at this competition just before the World Championships and it’s an honour to have won this Grand Prix,” said the 25-year-old who won bronze on his Olympic debut in 2016.

“I have pride in wearing the red backpatch which shows that I am the current world champion but I want to have the gold backpatch which is for the Olympic champion and I will keep working to achieve this goal.

“To defend my world title in Baku I plan to work on my ne-waza. I don’t have the explosive, big style of an Ono (Shohei) or Abe (Hifumi) so I want to have a complete skillset and to be confident in all areas of my judo.”

In the first semi-final Takato defeated Madrid European Open bronze medallist Andrea Carlino (ITA) by a waza-ari score. In the second semi-final Belgrade European Cup silver medallist David Pulkrabek (CZE) was spectacularly thrown by Diaz with a majestic utsuri-goshi for ippon.

The first bronze medal was won by Pulkrabek who booked his place on an IJF medal podium for the first time in his career. Former world silver medallist Rustam Ibrayev (KAZ) lost out to the Czech Republic judoka who made a successful first appearance in the final block on the IJF stage. Pulkrabek scored two waza-ari as Ibrayev was shut out and had to settle for fifth-place.

The second bronze medal went to 29-year-old European bronze medallist Ashley Mckenzie (GBR) who dispatched 21-year-old Carlino with aplomb. Two-time Olympian Mckenzie threw with his trademark seoi-otoshi to wrap up a convincing win and position himself further inside the world’s top 10 as he aims for World Championships honours in Baku this year.