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Former world champion Nemanja Majdov beats Azerbaijan’s Mehdiyev

Former world champion Nemanja Majdov beats Azerbaijan’s Mehdiyev

12 May 2019 17:00
Mark Pickering - IJF
IJF Emanuele Di Feliciantonio / International Judo Federation

Former world champion Nemanja Majdov of Serbia won his first Grand Slam title as he ended Azerbaijan’s hopes of gold in the U90kg category. The 2017 world title winner narrowly defeated Düsseldorf Grand Slam gold medallist Mammadali Mehdiyev (AZE) by a waza-ari score to end his wait for gold on the Grand Slam stage and doubled his head-to-head advantage over his rival to 2-0.

In the first semi-final world champion Nikoloz Sherazadishvili (ESP) was second best against Majdov who won after 16 seconds of golden score by ippon. In the second semi-final former world silver medallist Toth Krisztian (HUN) lost out to Mehdiyev by a waza-ari score in a nail-biting contest.

The first bronze medal was won by crowd favourite Toth who denied three-time Grand Prix medallist Li Kochman (ISR) a spot on the podium by the margin of a single waza-ari score.                                                        

The second bronze medal went to Sherazadishvili who salvaged his day after Düsseldorf Grand Slam bronze medallist Jesper Smink (NED) could not compete due to injury.