Nikita Yudanov reigns his division and owns the crown

The world title U90kg went to Ukraine talent Nikita Yudanov who gave a faultless display all the way to the final. He’s the current European cadet champion and world number one and showed everyone exactly why.

Yudanov’s superpower is his absolute commitment in ne-waza. He knows exactly what he wants, how to catch it and how to keep it! He wasn’t pushed beyond 1 minute and 12 seconds by anyone, all the way to the final. We have no idea the level of his opponents as Yudanov didn’t give them a chance to show it.

A very fast ashi-guruma in the final from Yudanov showed that he can throw and not just hold for superiority. He threw the Italian in the second minute extending a lead he already had, with two penalties already registered for Mincinesi. There were no further penalties or positive scores but it remained an all-action contest and both medallist can be proud of their performances today. Aside from their judo, both were courteous and respectful throughout, showing exemplary adherence to the judo values.

Yudanov’s semi-final was against Makhkamov (UZB) who also showed some serious skill but his preference is to win in tachi-waza. He has big throws, beautiful footwork and is not afraid to move, to cover ground. He beat Georgian, Spanish and Lithuanian opponents en route to his ill-fated semi-final but he will be formidable opposition in the bronze medal contest.

Makhkamov faces Jabiyev (SWE) for his place on the podium. The Swede hasn’t had an easy day at all, having to grind out wins that relied on determination as much as anything else. His quarter-final against Aslan Kotsoev, little brother of one Azerbaijan’s superstars, was the only hurdle he couldn’t jump.

Kotsoev was unseeded in Zagreb but chose to ignore the ranking in his pursuit for gold and almost made it to the final. In the semi-final though, he was disqualified for head-diving and had to settle for a chance to win bronze. He gave an outstanding performance up to that point. It is to be expected that during the cadet years, athletes refine their techniques and learn to control their physical capabilities. These are hard lessons but are also important to ensure the longevity of all athletes. Safety has to come first, always.

Therefore, Mincinesi (ITA) went into the final, making it a perfect day for the ranking list. The number one and two seeds would finish the day with gold and silver.

The first bronze medal was fought for by Zhumanbekov (KAZ) and Kotsoev and as the clock began to tick down it looked as though Kotsoev might get disqualified again but a replay showed that his shoulder hit the mat before his head and so the penalty was avoided. From the next grip he scored waza-ari. The Kazakh was no pushover though and made space for a hold down, a scare for Kotsoev but one he escaped from. This was quite a match!

Never backing down for a moment, Zhumanbekov capitalised on a tiring opponent. He gripped over the top, switched direction and threw with a wild sumi-gaeshi for a waza-ari, landing perfectly in osae-komi. There he stayed for the required 10 seconds to ensure the medal was his.

The second bronze wasn’t quite so nail-biting, the win going to Makhkamov (UZB) after a single waza-ari placed on the board early in the contest.