The first day of the European Open in Prague none of the number one seeds in the men’s division were able to confirm their status with a gold medal. The stories were about an all-French battle at lightweight, through Azerbaijan’s display of depth at -66kg, to a young Uzbek champion in the busiest division of the day, the tournament underlined both the strength of traditional powerhouses and the rise of new names.
All French final -60kg won by Ignaczak
The story began at -60kg, where France left no doubt about its dominance. Maxime Ignaczak and Louis Pestelard contested an all-French final after both defeated strong Azerbaijani opponents in the semi-finals. Pestelard, the European Cup winner in Dubrovnik earlier this year, looked ready to add another title, but it was Ignaczak who seized the moment. After a tense golden score period, Ignaczak broke through with a perfectly timed seoi nage, claiming his first major gold medal after four victories in a row. Bronze medals went to Azerbaijan’s Huseyn Allahyarov, who opened the day with a quick win over Bakhrom Boturov (UZB), and his teammate Murad Muradli, who survived a nine-minute bronze medal contest against Richard Vergnes of France with a decisive sumi gaeshi.
Podium -60kg with gold for Maxime Ignaczak
Islam Rahimov winner in All Azerbaijan final -66kg
If France had set the early tone, it was Azerbaijan that took center stage at -66kg. Islam Rahimov and Nazir Talibov turned the final into a national showcase, underlining the country’s depth in the division. Rahimov, just 21 years old, produced a committed low o-uchi-gari for ippon, securing his first European Open gold after silver in Sarajevo last year.
The bronze medals added international variety: Britain’s Charlie Young battled into golden score before countering Swiss judoka Freddy Waizenegger for victory, while Israel’s Adam Jazan wasted no time in his contest, scoring twice inside two minutes against Kanan Ismayilov (AZE) to secure his place on the podium.
Podium -66kg with gold for Islam Rahimov (AZE)
-73kg Zamohshari Bekmurodov (UZB) practised his armlocks with passion
The day reached its climax at -73kg, the deepest category with 56 entries. Here, Uzbekistan’s Zamohshari Bekmurodov delivered the standout performance, stunning Ukraine’s Said-Magomed Khalidov in the final with a lightning-fast juji-gatame in the opening minute. At just 20 years old, Bekmurodov became one of the youngest champions in Prague’s history, making his breakthrough on a big stage. The bronze medals again showed the breadth of the field: Israel’s Yehonatan Elbaz threw top seed Zelemkhan Batchaev (BEL) for wazari before finishing the contest with a clean ippon, while Romania’s Lucian Bors Dumitrescu edged Switzerland’s John Waizenegger with an early score that he held until the end.
Podium -73kg with gold for Zamohshari Bekmurodov (UZB)
A lot of golden scores at day one, long fights, big effort, the opening day of the Prague European Open delivered what athletes expect, as many partners to throw or learn from defeat. Tomorrow at day two more action from Prague. Follow the event via judotv.com.
Judoka
Author: Hans Van Essen