Top seeds Aaron Wolf and Jorge Fonseca battling it out

At -100kg, the two former world champions in the weight category are currently in top form. Jorge Fonseca of Portugal, a two-time champion, holds the top seed position following his recent successes, including a gold and silver medal at the Antalya Grand Slam and Upper Austria Grand Prix in March. Meanwhile, Aaron Wolf of Japan, the 2017 world champion and Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion, is seeded fourth after securing bronze in Antalya and gold at the Paris Grand Slam in February.

Despite his impressive resume, Wolf currently occupies the last direct Olympic qualification place in the category, making this event crucial for boosting his ranking. The potential semi-final matchup between Fonseca and Wolf carries significant anticipation, with Wolf emerging victorious in each of their three previous encounters.

Wolf may face a tough challenge in reaching the semi-finals, particularly against home favorite Nurlykhan Sharkhan of Kazakhstan, whom he previously failed to defeat at the 2023 Asian Championships. Another Kazakh athlete, Islam Bozbayev, aims to replicate his bronze medal performance from last year's event, seeking to thrill the home crowd once again. Zlatko Kumric of Croatia, seeded seventh, also seeks to make an impact after clinching bronze at the same event in 2023, especially since he is currently not in a qualifying position for the Olympic Games.

Daniel Eich of Switzerland, seeded third, brings confidence from his silver medal in Dushanbe last week. Meanwhile, Peter Paltchik of Israel, the second seed, aims to return to winning form after experiencing early exits in his last three grand slams.