Ivan Silva Morales claimes gold for Cuba

The U90kg category at the Grand Slam in Antalya looked like a game of slaughter for the favourites of the day. Krisztian Toth (HUN), the number one seed, after a promising start, lost to Ivan Felipe Silva Morales (CUB), the future winner. In the upper part of the draw, Tristani Moshakhlishili Mamalashvili showed some beautiful matches of, who was competing for the first time under the colours of Spain and who could well be talked about in the years to come... to be continued.

Among the other favourites eliminated were Li Kochman (ISR), beaten by Rafael Macedo, and Komronshokh Ustopiriyon (TJK) beaten by Luka Maisuradze (GEO), the eventual silver medallist. Finally, let us mention Mihael Zgank (TUR) defeated in the first round when he had hoped to shine in front of his public.

It was a match of strong men that we witnessed in the final. It's only at the beginning of the last minute, that the first penalty was given to Morales for passivity but a few seconds later both were penalised. Time for golden score. The physiognomy of the contest did not change and clearly, at any time, the victory could go to one side or the other. After one last 50:50 attack, Felipe Morales eventually threw Maisuradze for ippon.

In the first bronze medal contest Krisztian Toth (HUN) faced Jesper Smink (NED). After a long and close match, Toth won the bronze medal, the tenth for the Hungarian champion and the first as a coach for Miklos Ungvari who retired as an active judoka last year.

For the second bronze medal, Louis Krieber Gagnon (CAN), coached by Antoine Valois-Fortier, was opposed by Rafael Macedo (BRA). Louis Krieber Gagnon was penalised twice and had to take some risks but the risk with taking risks is often too risky and this was the case with the Canadian judoka. Attacking the back leg, Rafael Macedo launched a powerful low o-soto-gari for a perfect ippon.