The golden comeback of Yahor Varapayeu

Yahor Varapayeu's remarkable performance at the Qazaqstan Barysy Grand Slam 2024 marked a significant return to form for the Belarusian judoka. Despite his world ranking of 63, Varapayeu emerged as the surprise of the event, securing his first grand slam gold medal in dramatic fashion.

Varapayeu's journey to the final was filled with strategic victories and impressive displays of skill. He strategically countered Marcelo Gomes of Brazil in round 2, utilizing uki-otoshi to score ippon with just 10 seconds remaining on the clock. A tactical win over Juyeop Han in round 3 propelled him to a thrilling quarter-final match against Nemanja Majdov of Serbia. In a closely contested battle, Varapayeu executed an incredible uchi-mata in the second minute of golden score to secure a dramatic ippon victory.

Advancing to the semi-final, Varapayeu faced Eljan Hajiyev of Azerbaijan, who unfortunately suffered a disqualification due to a head-first landing while attempting a throw. This stroke of luck propelled Varapayeu to his second grand slam final.

In the final showdown against Germany's Olympic medallist Eduard Trippel, Varapayeu showcased his dominance. Trippel's early penalties for false attacks allowed Varapayeu to capitalize on multiple scoring opportunities with kata-guruma. Seizing the moment, Varapayeu executed two quick kata-guruma throws to score waza-ari-awasete-ippon, securing his first-ever grand slam gold medal.

Meanwhile, in the bronze medal contests, Eljan Hajiyev displayed exceptional skill and determination against Eldar Allakhverdiev of the Athlete Refugee Team, executing two spectacular throws in the final minute to secure his third grand slam bronze medal. Despite closing the gap on Olympic rankings, Hajiyev still trails behind Murad Fatiyev by 300 points.

Vugar Talibov of Azerbaijan clinched the second bronze medal, capitalizing on penalties against Nemanja Majdov to secure victory. Talibov's performance earned him his second grand slam bronze medal and a spot in Olympic qualifying position, alongside his teammates Hajiyev and Fatiyev.

Varapayeu's outstanding victory not only marked a triumphant return to the podium but also showcased his potential as a formidable contender in the judo circuit.