The remaining four men’s weight categories took centre stage on the closing day of the Conegliano European Open 2025, which also marked the final stop of this year’s European Open Tour. The final block felt like an amusement park of judo, packed with action, explosive throws, and electrifying energy. Let’s take a look at how the evening unfolded.
The –81kg category drew a strong field of 41 competitors, with Vuk Elez (SRB) and Vladyslav Kolobov (UKR) emerging as the last men standing. For Elez, it was already a career milestone, his first European medal was guaranteed, the question was simply which colour it would be. Kolobov, meanwhile, had already tasted success earlier this year, claiming his first European Open medal in Ljubljana.
Their final delivered a breathtaking moment at 2:19. To call Kolobov’s throw “perfectly timed” would be an understatement. Having showcased sharp ne-waza skills all day, the Ukrainian produced a spectacular de-ashi-barai to finish the contest in style, a textbook execution and a well-deserved gold medal for Kolobov.
In the –90kg final, Eniel Caroly (FRA), 7th at the 2025 Paris Grand Slam, faced Artem Bubyr (UKR), the 2023 Antalya Grand Slam bronze medallist. Bubyr arrived unseeded in Conegliano and sat at world rank #310, but that didn’t stop him from shaking up the draw.
Right from the first grip, tension filled the air. Just 30 seconds in, Bubyr stunned Caroly with a tsuri-goshi for waza-ari, and moments later followed up with a massive ko-soto-gake to end the bout in just 1 minute 14 seconds. Another superb display and a second gold medal of the day for Ukraine.
In the semi-finals of the -100kg category, Francis Damier (FRA) edged out Erekle Bazierishvili (GEO) in the dying seconds of regular time, while Tommaso Fava (ITA) needed just 20 seconds to dispatch Danilo Pantic (MNE) and reach the final.
When Damier and Fava met for gold, the contest quickly became a gripping tactical battle. By the 2:38 mark, three penalties had been handed out, two to Fava, one to Damier. The Italian struggled to establish his kumi-kata, while Damier consistently dominated the grip exchanges, piling on the pressure. With 38 seconds left on the clock, the French judoka broke through with a ko-uchi-gari for yuko. Fava fought to the last moment but couldn’t turn the tide, gold for France, and a smart, composed performance from Damier.
The final contest of the day and of the entire 2025 European Open Tour, saw Francesco Basso (ITA) face Amadou Meïté (FRA) in the +100kg division. Basso had impressed earlier, eliminating top-seeded Briton Wesley Greenidge, while Meïté, seeded second, delivered consistently to reach the final.
Barely a minute in, Basso launched an o-uchi-gari attempt that fell short, immediately switching direction for a forward attack but Meïté reacted lightning fast, countering with a sharp o-soto-gari to score and secure the win.
The men’s final block was a true fireworks display, a fitting finale to both the Conegliano European Open and the 2025 European Open Tour. The 2026 calendar is already out, so get ready for another year of world-class judo and unforgettable moments.
Check out the full results and photo gallery at eju.net.
Author: Szandra Szogedi