Though the Great Britain team only walked away with two medals from the Dushanbe Grand Slam 2025, Kelly PETERSEN POLLARD (-70kg/silver) and Emma REID (-78kg/gold) were the ones to put the nation on the medal table at #6.
It was the assist from a sold silver from Petersen Pollard on day two of the event that enabled the golden win from Reid on the final day to push Great Britain above Croatia and United Arab Emirates in the table, and the latter athlete really came to life out East, defeating PENG Yuxiao (CHN) with uchi mata sukashi. This is the second grand slam gold for the 2024 World bronze medallist.
Azerbaijan racked up a further three medals on third and final day of the event, a national battle ensued in the -90kg category with the 2024 European Champion, Eljan HAJIYEV and Vugar TALIBOV. In the final minute of the gold medal contest, Hajiyev took a deep grip over the back and hooked in for o soto gari, persisting with his motion though finding himself in a brief clinch, but Talibov was unable to defend the ippon score.
The third medal came from Dzhamal GAMZATKHANOV in the men’s heavyweight division, a silver in the +100kg.
Judoka
Author: Thea Cowen