David Garcia Torne on form with second gold this year

David Garcia Torne (ESP) is the Spaniard in form in the category. Already a winner at the first edition of the Upper Austria Grand Prix a few weeks ago. Again he proved it again today in Astana, qualifying for the final, beating Aibolat Ystybay (KAZ), Alexander Short (GBR), Abrek Nzaguchev (AIN) and Karamat Hyseynov (AZE) in the preliminary rounds.

In the final, he was opposed to the Kazakh Gusman Kyrgyzbayev, who gave the host country a second guaranteed medal on the first day of competition in Astana.

Insiders expected a lot from the two Italian judoka engaged at U66kg. On the one hand, the number one seed Elios Manzi, who unfortunately for him was eliminated before the quarter-finals, and on the other hand Fabio Basile, the Rio 2016 Olympic champion, who is back in his preferred category, but who is still struggling to regain his best level. After a first bout won against the Georgian Giorgi Tutashvili, Basile bowed out against Daikii Bouba (FRA), who himself was defeated in the next round.

In the final, after one minute, both competitors were penalised with a first shido for passivity. Imitating Giuffrida's tactics, David Garcia Torne scored with a waza-ari with only a few seconds to go, winning the gold medal.

Maxime Gobert (FRA) and Mukhriddin Tilovo (UZB) faced each other in the first match for a bronze medal. With three penalties to his name, Mukhriddin Tilovo couldn't prevent Maxime Gobert from winning the bronze medal.

Spain placed a second athlete in the final block with Alberto Gaitero Martin (ESP), opposed by Karamat Huseynov (AZE), in the second match for bronze. Both athletes finished totally exhausted but in terms of exhaustion, Gaitero Martin was the fitter of the two, able to score ippon in the golden score period after he pinned his opponent.