Tamerlan Bashaev sets a milestone on his way to 2020

Tamerlan Bashaev and Ilyaz Niyasov both saved the reputation of Russian judo. The Russian weren't that lucky this tournament and had only won a silver medal in the women's category. Where the Russian juniors where so dominant in the past, now only the heavyweight men's category captured two gold medals in one day, saved by the bell to have at least one new champion in the team like in the last four editions of the World Junior Championships. Only in 2009 Russian didn't win gold.

Tamerlan Bashaev won Russia’s second gold medal of the day as he defeated Junior Bremen Masters winner Tanaka Genta of Japan in the heavyweight final which was the last contest of the individual competition. Tanaka struck first as he produced a foot sweep for a yuko score but Bashaev replied with force and a waza-ari and controlled the remainder of the contest to seal the finest result of his young career. 

Former Junior European Championship bronze medallist Bashaev, who is a second year student at Moscow University of Physical Education, said: “This was my first time competing at the Junior World Championships. I fought at the Cadet World Championships in Miami in 2013 and lost my first fight.

 “I am thrilled to win gold at this level at my first attempt. I want to win the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, this is what drives me every day.”

In the first semi-final Tanaka defeated Prague Junior European Cup winner Sergii Zvieriev (UKR) on shido penalties (1:2) while in the second semi-final Bashaev bested 2013 Cadet World Championships bronze medallist Messie Katanga of France. With Katanga struggling with three shidos to his name, Bashaev was penalised for going out and then not taking a grip. Bashaev earned a place in the final by wazari-awasette-ippon as he hold down his opponent with a mune-gatame for 15 seconds after first throwing for a waza-ari.

The first bronze medal was won by Katanga who defeated 17-year-old Junior Pan American Championships bronze medallist Joao Cesarino Silva of Brazil on shido penalties (1:2) while the second bronze medal was clinched by 19-year-old Junior World Team Championships gold medallist Ogawa Yusei of Japan. The son of 1992 Olympic silver medallist and four-time world champion held down Zvieriev with a kami-shiho-gatame for 20 seconds for ippon.

Vitaly Makarov, Alexander Mikhailin and obviously Arsen Galstyan were World Junior champion and captured either the world title or Olympic title. A god outlook for Tamerlan Bashaev and Ilyaz Niyasov.