Day two of the Qazaqstan Barysy Grand Slam 2026 (8-10 May) delivered four more finals featuring Europeans, two gold medals, and a series of podium finishes for athletes from across Europe.
The morning session began with a major upset in the women’s -63kg category, where reigning Dutch European champion Joanne van Lieshout suffered a shock defeat in the second round to Russia’s Dali Liluashvili, who went on to claim silver.
Another surprise came from Germany’s 20-year-old Sara-Joy Bauer, the 2024 European junior champion, who secured the first Grand Slam medal of her career. Bauer impressed all day throughout the draw, defeating local favourite Esmigul Kuyulova before falling to Rio 2016 Olympic champion Rafaela Silva in the semi-finals. The German quickly recovered in the repechage rounds, overcoming Poland’s Natalia Kropska before defeating Mongolia’s Gankhaich Bold to earn a place on the podium.
If the men’s -73kg category could be summed up in one sentence, it would be this: the king is back.
Italy’s 2016 Olympic champion Fabio Basile reached a World Judo Tour final for the first time in three years, a result that confirmed an unshakeable confidence and belief that has been ever-present in his career. The all-European final against Russia’s Danil Lavrentev quickly developed into a battle of o-uchi-garis. Basile struck first to take a yuko lead, only for Lavrentev to level the contest with an o-uchi-gari of his own. In golden score, the Russian eventually threw Basile for ippon to secure the first Grand Slam gold medal of his career, just one week after winning bronze in Dushanbe.
“Winning my first title here in Kazakhstan feels amazing,” Lavrentev told the IJF following his win. “Especially as the support from the local people has been incredible and I love the country. Although my opponent is a highly experienced Olympic champion and he began better, I felt well-prepared and superior on the day. Following my bronze medal in Tajikistan last week, I am delighted to have secured my first grand slam gold.”
The women’s -70kg division saw a similar story.
France’s Clemence Eme upgraded the bronze medal she won in Dushanbe to silver in Kazakhstan after defeating Germany’s Olympic silver medallist and top seed Miriam Butkereit in the final. Eme scored a decisive yuko inside the opening minute to secure another women’s gold medal for France, their third in Kazakhstan.
“I am incredibly happy,” Eme told the IJF, noting that she had considered retiring from judo two years ago. “Now I am moving into the world top ten. After a mistake in Dushanbe, my main focus today was to avoid errors and I felt surprisingly energetic. I’ve been able to deliver new techniques from training in competition, such as my ura-nage, which shows my judo is evolving. Beating an Olympic silver medallist in the final was a significant goal for me; I stayed highly focused on my groundwork defence to ensure I could execute my own gameplay. The atmosphere in Kazakhstan is amazing, as the crowd truly appreciates the fighters and the culture of the sport.”
Olympic bronze medallist and double European champion Sanne van Dijke of the Netherlands claimed bronze in the category, marking her second medal since taking bronze at the 2025 World Championships.
Day two concluded with further European success in the men’s -81kg division. Moldova’s Petru Pelivan and Ukraine’s Vladyslav Kolobov both earned medals, with Kolobov securing the first Grand Slam podium finish of his career after six previous attempts. In the final, Pelivan and home favourite Zhalgas Kairolla delivered the high-scoring contest the crowd had hoped for, closing the day with an entertaining showcase of attacking judo and a memorable victory for the host nation.
Women -63 kg
- Gold: Enkhriilen Lkhagvatogoo (MGL)
- Silver: Dali Liluashvili (RUS)
- Bronze: Rafaela Silva (BRA)
- Bronze: Sara-Joy Bauer (GER)
Men -73 kg
- Gold: Danil Lavrentev (RUS)
- Silver: Fabio Basile (ITA)
- Bronze: Angsarbek Gainullin (KAZ)
- Bronze: Ankhzaya Lavjargal (MGL)
Women -70 kg
- Gold: Clemence Eme (FRA)
- Silver: Miriam Butkereit (GER)
- Bronze: Sanne Van Dijke (NED)
- Bronze: Nauana Silva (BRA)
Men -81 kg
- Gold: Zhalgas Kairolla (KAZ)
- Silver: Petru Pelivan (MDA)
- Bronze: David Lima (BRA)
- Bronze: Vladyslav Kolobov (UKR)
Author: EJU Media