The final day of the Qazaqstan Barysy Grand Slam 2026 (8-10 May) saw four of the five gold medals go to judoka from the European continent, with several heavyweight performances delighting the judo-loving Kazakh crowd.
In the men’s -90kg division, Serbia’s Boris Rutovic captured gold ahead of Brazil’s Guilherme Schimidt. The 19-year-old took the gold on his second-ever Grand Slam appearance, his first experience coming just one week earlier in Dushanbe.
“This is my second grand slam and I’m incredibly proud to have won my first gold medal,” he said to the IJF. “As I’m often younger than my opponents, I push myself to give over 100% and use my strength to win. It was special winning the final in Kazakhstan as the crowd here truly understands judo.”
Moldova’s Mihail Latisev fell to the Serbian winner in the quarter-final, but eventually secured a bronze medal, while Dutch judoka Frank de Wit, who also lost out to Rutovic in the semi-final, narrowly missed the podium, finishing fifth.
Germany, historically dominant in the women’s 78kg category, made no exceptions today in Kazakhstan, producing an all-German final between world silver medallist Anna Monta Olek and double European champion Alina Boehm. Olek emerges victorious, out-gripping Boehm to take the tactical victory.
Olek’s Grand Slam trajectory has followed a perfect progression this year: bronze in Paris, silver in Tashkent, and now, finally, gold in Astana, her fourth overall.
Yet despite all of her international experience, she went up against a familiar face in the final:
“Facing my teammate in the final was tough because we know each other so well,” she told the IJF. “So making throws is difficult. I won by staying mentally consistent and forcing attacks to avoid penalties. The gold in Astana shows that we made a great decision by not competing in the European Championships and to have additional practices.”
The teammates shared a lovely moment of friendship and respect after the hard-fought final.
France’s Liz Ngelebeya secured bronze with a gorgeous harai-goshi, while Lithuania’s Migle Julija Dudenaite and Russia’s Aleksandra Babintseva finished seventh.
The men’s -100kg event brought further success for the host nation as Kazakhstan’s Marat Baikamurov claimed gold on home soil. Moldova’s Vadim Ghimbovschi took silver, while Dutch world medallist Michael Korrel took home a bronze medal, his first World Judo Tour medal since 2024.
In the women’s +78kg category, Russia’s Elis Startseva finally found the top of the podium, having medalled in six previous Grand Slams, without ever claiming gold. In the final, she defeated Kazakhstan’s Kamila Berlikash with an armlock submission.
Despite the disappointment for the home crowd, Startseva was delighted to compete in Kazakhstan: “Winning gold in Kazakhstan is an incredible feeling, and I am so grateful to the fans for their amazing support. I stayed focused on my own judo and strategy, which helped me manage the pressure of the final. This victory is a result of the hard work put in by our entire team and our coach.”
Italy had two athletes place fifth at +78kgs, Erica Simonetti and Tiziana Marini.
The 2026 Grand Slam in Astana ended with a bang, as heavyweight men’s star Russia’s reigning world champion, Inal Tasoev, continued his reign by taking another gold in the +100kg category with a brilliant moment of footwork, sending Azerbaijan’s Ushangi Kokauri to settle for silver.
After the final, the world champion revealed one of his secrets to success to the IJF: “Having competed at this level for many years, I’ve learned to stay focused,” he said. “The attention doesn’t bother me, but rather motivates and energises me. It is also a huge compliment to hear such positive feedback about our team’s performance on social media. These things always help.”
Poland’s Jakub Sordyl joined the Europeans on the podium with bronze, with Germany’s Erik Abramov and Losseni Kone making the top seven.
Day three results:
Men -90kg
- Gold, Boris Rutovic (SRB)
- Silver, Guilherme Schimidt (BRA)
- Bronze, Aidar Arapov (KAZ)
- Bronze, Mihail Latisev (MDA)
Women -78kg
- Gold, Anna Monta Olek (GER)
- Silver, Alina Boehm (GER)
- Bronze, Liz Ngelebeya (FRA)
- Bronze, Beatriz Freitas (BRA)
Men -100kg
- Gold, Marat Baikamurov (KAZ)
- Silver, Vadim Ghimbovschi (MDA)
- Bronze, Michael Korrel (NED)
- Bronze, Leonardo Goncalves (BRA)
Women +78kg
- Gold, Elis Startseva (RUS)
- Silver, Kamila Berlikash (KAZ)
- Bronze, Adiyasuren Amarsaikhan (MGL)
- Bronze, Aida Toishibekova (KAZ)
Men +100kg
- Gold, Inal Tasoev (RUS)
- Silver, Ushangi Kokauri (AZE)
- Bronze, Magomedomar Magomedomarov (UAE)
- Bronze, Jakub Sordyl (POL)
Author: EJU Media