The second day of the OTP Group Tashkent Grand Slam 2026 delivered eight medals for Europe, two of them golden moments courtesy of Azerbaijan and Germany. Japan continues to lead the medal table convincingly, well ahead of the rest of the delegations, with three gold, three silver and four bronze medals. Azerbaijan sits in second place with two gold and one silver, while the host nation, Uzbekistan, occupies third position with one gold, one silver and three bronze medals. So, where did Europe excel on day two?
In the -63kg category, the continent secured two bronze medals, claimed by Angelika Szymańska (POL) and Manon Deketer (FRA). In the first bronze medal contest, Szymańska faced the 2024 world champion, Joanne Van Lieshout (NED), in a high-quality encounter between two athletes accustomed to performing on the biggest stages. Unimpressed by her opponent’s résumé, Szymańska, herself a world medallist, imposed her rhythm and sealed victory with a decisive yuko.
For the second bronze medal, Gili Sharir (ISR) met Deketer, the French judoka determined to respond swiftly to the narrow disappointment of her semi-final. Deketer secured a yuko advantage and, despite heavy pressure from Sharir in the closing moments, held firm to take her place on the podium.
The identity of the -81kg finalists remained uncertain until the closing contests of the preliminary rounds. One name, however, had emerged earlier in the day: Omar Rajabli (AZE). Few had predicted his presence at this stage. Not listed among the main favourites when the draw was made, he quietly built momentum throughout the rounds to earn his place in the gold medal contest.
In doing so, Rajabli navigated a field packed with established contenders, including Somon Makhmadbekov (TJK), Sotaro Fujiwara (JPN), Vedat Albayrak (TUR) and Arslonbek Tojiev (UZB), yet none would contest the -81kg final in Tashkent.
In the top half of the draw, the number one seed, François Gauthier-Drapeau (CAN), looked for much of the day as though he would justify his status. The Canadian controlled his early contests with authority and appeared on course for another major final. However, his run was halted by Abdul-Kerim Tasuev (RUS), who delivered a composed and tactically sharp performance to reach the semi-finals.
The final therefore brought together Tasuev and Rajabli, two athletes who had carved their own path through a fiercely competitive field. It took just one minute and thirty seconds for Rajabli to assert himself. Following a seamless transition into groundwork, Tasuev attempted to control the leg but Rajabli calmly freed himself and secured an unstoppable hold-down. Ippon and gold for the Azerbaijani judoka.
The celebration continued in the -70kg category, where Europe achieved a full line-up on the podium. A division long known for European dominance once again delivered a spectacular day for the continent.
In the first bronze medal contest, Lu Liu (CHN) faced Clemence Eme (FRA), the French judoka determined to convert her strong morning performance into a podium finish. She did so with authority, securing bronze and confirming France’s resurgence in the category.
In the second bronze medal bout, Kamila Badurova (RUS) met Maria Teltsidou (GRE), both aiming to leave Tashkent with silverware. After a long and demanding golden score period, Teltsidou found the decisive opening, scoring a yuko to claim bronze, her ninth Grand Slam podium finish.
Double junior world champion and winner of last year’s Kazakhstan Grand Slam, Melkia Auchecorne (FRA), faced Miriam Butkereit (GER), an Olympic and world medallist with vast experience, in the final. It was youth and momentum against experience and proven pedigree. On this occasion, experience proved decisive. The German secured a hold-down and scored ippon, ending Auchecorne’s hopes of gold and claiming the title in commanding fashion.
The final day of competition will feature the men’s -90kg, -100kg and +100kg categories, alongside the women’s -78kg and +78kg divisions. Watch all the action live on JudoTV.com.
Source: IJF/Nicolas Messner
Author: Szandra Szogedi