Artem Bloshenko leads Ukraine to gold medal in Tbilisi

Jeju Grand Prix Ukrainian runner-up Artem Bloshenko was the leading man in the -100kg weight as he conquered Oberwart European Open bronze medallist Ivan Remarenco (UAE) in the final. Bloshenko scored a yuko from a yoko-otoshi and jumped onto his opponent in ne-waza as he sat through and held Remarenco with a kesa-gatame for ippon.

In the first semi-final Bloshenko bested Georgian Championships bronze medallist David Loriashvili (GEO) with a yuko after receiving a shido for a false attack and passivity.  

In the second semi-final Georgia’s gold medal hopes were dashed again as 19-year-old Junior European champion Guram TUSHISHVILI (GEO) was humbled by REMARENCO who held him down with a mune-gatame for ippon after three minutes of action.

The first bronze medal was won by former Moscow Grand Slam winner Javad MAHJOUB (IRI) who defeated TUSHISHVILI by two yuko both from a ko-uchi-gari as the Georgian was unable to reply. After scoring his second yuko MAHJOUB switched off for a second and there was an opening for a kame-shiho-gatame but TUSHISHVILI was not quick enough to apply the pin. The second medal was won by World Judo Masters bronze medallist Elmar GASIMOV (AZE) as LORIASHVILI was punished with a shido for deliverately pushing his opponent out of the area after some unrpdocutive work on the fringe of the tatami. LORIASHVILI had already received two shido penalties for passivity which was matched by his opponent.