Kazach Nurkanat Serikbayev golden lightweight in Tbilisi

The Grand Slam in Tbilisi marked the first major success for Kazakh judoka Nurkanat Serikbayev. The 2019 World cadet champion from Almaty seamlessly transitioned to the senior level, culminating in a victory in the U60kg final against Israeli Yam Wolczak. Serikbayev's path to the final saw him triumph over other favorites such as Balabay Aghayev (AZE) and Dilshot Khalmatov (UKR).

The final match exemplified an intense tempo, with both judokas exerting maximum effort throughout. Attacks flew from both sides at a frenetic pace, resulting in only one shido penalty, awarded to Wolczak in the last minute. Serikbayev ultimately clinched victory with a waza-ari scored from a sumi-gaeshi, securing a well-deserved gold medal. Also for Wolczak this silver medal will catapult him towards Olympic qualification.

Georgia had pinned its hopes on top seed Giorgi Sardalashvili, who faced Aghayev in the bronze medal contest. Despite Sardalashvili's recent successes, including a second-place finish in Tashkent and a third-place finish in the 2023 World Championships, it was Aghayev who emerged victorious in a thrilling and intense encounter. Aghayev secured the bronze medal with a low tai-otoshi during the golden score period.

Tornike Tsjakadoea (NED) and Richard Vergnes (FRA) vied for the second bronze medal. Tsjakadoea took the lead with a waza-ari from a low sode-tsuri-komi-goshi, sealing the victory with a second waza-ari from a sumi-gaeshi in the final minute of the contest. The bronze medal ultimately went to the Netherlands and perhaps another Olympian after finishing fifth in Tokyo in 2021.