Russia concluded the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam 2025 at the top of the medal table, finishing with two gold and four silver medals collected over the course of the event. Japan rose to second place with two golds and two bronzes, while Germany secured third position, also with two golds. On the final day, European athletes added three more victories from the five finals contested.
–90kg Category
The continent was assured of gold in this division. After a demanding preliminary stage filled with momentum swings, the –90kg category reached its climax with a final between two athletes who had progressed through the draw in contrasting fashion: Lasha Bekauri (GEO), characteristically composed and authoritative, as well as Mihail Latisev (MDA), who combined opportunity with sharp execution throughout the morning session.
The final quickly settled into its rhythm. Within twenty seconds, Bekauri made a decisive move, launching Latisev with his trademark wide, rolling makikomi, a formidable technique when executed with such conviction. Latisev, however, refused to back down. He applied constant pressure, forcing the double Olympic champion to work hard. Yet it is in precisely these moments that Bekauri’s exceptional ability shines: under duress, he has a unique capacity to turn defence into dominance.
As Latisev drove forward once more, Bekauri reversed the momentum, hooking in an o-soto-otoshi even though his upper body appeared barely committed. The action unfolded instantly, sending the Moldovan to his back for ippon. This victory earned Bekauri his fourth Grand Slam title and reinforced his status as one of judo’s most commanding figures.
Serbia completed the podium sweep by taking both bronze medals through Islam Sogenov and Nemanja Majdov.
–78kg Category
Europe was assured of another gold medal in this category. The –78kg field narrowed as expected, with Anna Monta Olek (GER) and Alice Bellandi (ITA) progressing convincingly to set up a highly anticipated rematch of their World Championships final earlier this year.
The final was a cagey and finely balanced contest, unsurprising, given how familiar the two are with each other’s judo. The opening four minutes became a gripping battle of grips, with neither athlete willing to relinquish ground. Both collected two shido, taking the contest into golden score. It was there that Olek capitalised: during a transition on the ground, she managed to manoeuvre Bellandi onto her back and secure a five-second hold, enough to claim the gold medal. The two shared a warm embrace afterwards, reflecting both their mutual respect and the quality of their rivalry. Kaila Issoufi (FRA) added a European bronze.
–100kg Category
Few categories shifted as dramatically from prediction to surprise as the –100kg division and the final showcased that unpredictability. Arman Adamian (RUS) powered through his side of the draw as expected, while Idar Bifov (RUS) emerged as one of the day’s unexpected contenders, pushing his way into the title bout.
As the two know each other well, the final always risked hinging on a single mistake and Adamian made it first. Overreacting to Bifov’s action–reaction sequence, he was rotated almost onto his back for a waza-ari that came slightly against the early run of play.
Adamian struck back with determination, scoring a yuko via uchi-mata to narrow the deficit. As the clock ran down, Bifov appeared moments away from victory but Adamian produced one last decisive attack, a long-range o-uchi-gari that earned waza-ari and flipped the contest in his favour. The former world champion then held on to secure a hard-earned gold. Nikoloz Sherazadishvili (ESP) took bronze.
+78kg Category
There were no European finalists in the +78kg division, where Miki Mukunoki (JPN) defeated Xinran Niu (CHN) to take gold. As a result, attention shifted to the bronze-medal contests, which offered two intriguing continental opportunities: Yuli Alma Mishiner (ISR) vs Anne Fatoumata M’Bairo (FRA), and Nominzul Dambadarjaa (MGL) vs Erica Simonetti (ITA).
In the first contest, Mishiner prevailed through disciplined tactics, finishing with one fewer penalty than her French opponent. In the second, Simonetti delivered the decisive moment of brilliance: anticipating Dambadarjaa’s ashi-waza attempt, she countered cleanly, rolling the Mongolian onto her back with impeccable timing. The resulting ippon secured Simonetti her first Grand Slam medal.
+100kg Category
Where other categories required time to settle, the +100kg division provided one of the earliest confirmed finals of the day. Gonchigsuren Batkhuyag (MGL) carried strong form into the gold-medal contest, while Olympic medallist Tamerlan Bashaev (RUS) progressed steadily through his side of the draw. In the end, Batkhuyag claimed the title, with Bashaev taking silver. Europe added two further bronzes.
In the first bronze-medal match, Ushangi Kokauri overcame Roy Spijkers with a classic heavyweight uki-otoshi, transitioning smoothly into osae-komi to seal his podium place.
The final bronze contest proved tense until the closing moments, with both judoka at risk of a third shido. Ultimately, a yuko scored just over a minute before full time made the decisive difference, securing victory for Demetrashvili and closing the European medal tally for the weekend.
This concludes the 2025 edition of the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam. The final IJF World Tour event of the season will take place in Tokyo, Japan, from 6–7 December 2025.
Source and Images: International Judo Federation
Author: Szandra Szogedi