Only one of the five gold medals on the third and final day of the Qazaqstan Grand Slam 2025 went to Europe with an incredible gold from seasoned athlete, Mikhail IGOLNIKOV (IJF).
Racking up his seventh Grand Slam gold, it seems Igolnikov’s slightly slower season has come to an end, in fact this was the first medal in the new Olympic cycle. With a series of his signature uchi mata attacks and uki goshi entries, Igolnikov made his way through his half of the draw to meet team mate, Egor MALKIN. With Malkin also looking for the uchi mata entry, Igolnikov simply waited for the eager Malkin to attack so that he counter for the win. It was an all-Europe line up as the bronze medals went to Adam KOPECKY (CZE) and Theodoros TSELIDIS (GRE).
Julie HOELTERHOFF (GER) was the only European to claim a medal in the -78kg category, taking on Elisavet TELTSIDOU (GRE) for the bronze. It’s a new weight for the Greek athlete, who recently took silver in the European Championships, and she was outmatched by Hoelterhoff who scored yuko twice with sumi gaeshi, claimed another with o soto gari and then ippon in the final 30 seconds with a deep o uchi gari.
Silver medals were won in the -100kg and +78kg categories by Daniel EICH (SUI) and Julia TOLOFUA (FRA), and then both bronze medals were taken in the +100kg category; the first by Grzegorz TERESINSKI (POL) and the second by Saba INANEISHVILI (GEO). Teresinksi took on Irakli DEMETRASHVILI (GEO), but the contest was a tough one, decided by shidos in golden score, whereas Inaneishvili found his way to the bronze in a minute and a half with an osaekomi win against Ibragim MARGIEV (IJF).
Judoka
Author: Thea Cowen