Top favourites lined up for finals U81kg

The -81kg category always attracts crowds and the attention of judo fans, with guaranteed thrilling matches and incredible movements. From the morning, the competition did not disappoint, with victories and defeats following one another at a frantic pace.

At the top of the draw, Matthias Casse was firmly established, but the first round was tricky against Sibghatullah Arab of the refugee team, who managed to score a waza-ari against the world number one. This unexpected move created quite a sensation! However, Casse's ability to keep calm and regain control saw him through brilliantly.

In the next round, the Belgian judoka faced and defeated Attila Ungvari of Hungary, an old hand on the international circuit. He then faced the reigning Olympic champion, Takanori Nagase of Japan, who had fought a fierce battle against Vedat Albayrak of Turkey in the previous round. Nagase, known for his resilience and mastery of nerve-wracking confrontations, pulled out the right move at the right time against Casse in the quarter-finals. After a particularly indecisive fight, he found a small opening to score a waza-ari, securing his qualification for the semi-final.

In Pool B, Brazilian favorite Guilherme Schimidt started strong but eventually gave way to Antonio Esposito of Italy, who had been in great shape since the morning. Esposito continued his momentum by defeating Canadian François Gauthier-Drapeau, securing a spot in an exceptional semi-final. This unexpected success highlighted the unpredictable nature of the Games, where anything is possible.

In Pool C, the top seed was none other than the reigning world champion, Tato Grigalashvili of Georgia. Although perhaps a little less incisive than usual, Grigalashvili passed through the rounds without giving his opponents a chance to put him in danger.

Finally, in Pool D, all eyes were on Joonhwan Lee of South Korea, who had defeated almost all the favorites at various points during the season. Would he be able to replicate his exploits over a full day of competition? After a first-round victory against Achraf Moutii of Morocco, Lee beat Sagi Muki of Israel and Sharofiddin Boltaboev of Uzbekistan to join Grigalashvili in the semi-final. This match promised to be spicy and exciting, as both competitors were in top form and ready to fight for a place in the final.

The semi-final matchups thus set the stage for an intense conclusion to the -81kg competition, with Matthias Casse facing Takanori Nagase, and Antonio Esposito going up against Joonhwan Lee. The audience eagerly anticipated the upcoming battles, knowing that each judoka would leave everything on the mat in their quest for Olympic glory.