Lightweight Temur Nozadze takes gold for Georgia

The final of the Grand Slam in Tbilisi U60kg started with an incredible rhythm, totally open. Uzbek Kemran Nurillaev qualified for the final against Georgian Temur Nozadze and ended in spectacular style. Kemran Nurillaev entering the final, against Nozadze, the first Georgian of the day to shine at home.

Nurillaev launched a rolling movement, applied directly on the arm of his opponent. If the action looked nice on TV, it was actually a dangerous technique as it stretched the arm of Temur Nozadze. Thus the Uzbek was logically disqualified, offering the first gold medal to the host country.

In the first bronze medal contest, Shahboz Saidaburorov (TJK), who had a really strong day, was up against the Dutchman Tornike Tsjkadoea, bronze medallist in Doha earlier this year. It took quite a lot of time for Saidaburorov to conclude with a beautiful hip throw for a clear ippon, after almost 4 minutes of golden score.

For the second bronze medal, two young athletes competed: the 2017 world junior silver medallist, Karamat Huseynov (AZE) and the 2019 junior world champion Konstantin Simeonidis (RUS). Due to an injury, Simeonidis could not compete and Karamat Huseynov won the bronze.

As the competition's number one seed, Sharafuddin Lutfillaev (UZB) seemed to be the most likely to ignite the powder in Tbilisi, but the 2019 World Championship silver medallist was knocked out in the first round by Shahboz Saidaburorov (TJK).