On day one of the Dushanbe Grand Slam 2025, it was the brute force of Team France that stole the show, collecting four medals, two gold and two bronze, to top the medal table ahead of the hosts, Tajikistan.
The top seeds of the -52kg and -57kg categories; Amandine BUCHARD and Sarah Leonie CYSIQUE cemented their positions as leaders by taking the gold medals for France. Buchard the first, throwing Mukhayyo AKHMATOVA (UZB) with o uchi gari for the yuko score early in the contest, and later finding her ippon solution with shime waza. In the same category, Blandine PONT has been making her comeback to competition and defeated Lilia NUGAEVA (IJF) for the bronze medal with a driving o soto gari in the closing minute. Cysique found her dominance in ne waza for the -57kg fine against Natalia ELKINA (IJF), securing the 20 second osaekomi.
Rounding out the magic four was Maxime MERLIN of France in the -60kg category. Merlin’s bronze medal was well earned with a yuk-scoring ura nage against local hope, Muhammadsoleh QUVATOV (TJK), before finishing up in ne waza. This was Merlin’s first medal on the IJF World Judo Tour, a fantastic way to start the new cycle for the LA Games 2028.
Though there were big celebrations for Merlin, the top place on the podium was held by Balabay AGHAYEV (AZE) in the -60kg. He demonstrated his knowledge and expertise with a stunning waza-ari-scoring kata guruma before transitioning immediately on to the arm to find the juji gatame and submission from Mehrzod SUFIEV (TJK).
Judoka
Author: Thea Cowen