Spain’s Nikoloz Sherazadishvili wins back-to-back Grand Slams

Former world champion Nikoloz Sherazadishvili (ESP) defeated Gwak Donghan (KOR) to win his second Grand Slam this month. Olympic bronze medallist Gwak, who won their only previous meeting on home soil in Jeju in 2015, was appearing in his second Grand Slam final of the season having won gold in Paris in February.

There was nothing to separate the Abu Dhabi finalists after four minutes elapsed without the scoreboard being called upon. Three minutes of golden score was required to produce a winner as the in-form Sherazadishvili changed direction and threw for a waza-ari score.

In the first semi-final Sherazadishvili defeated former world champion Nemanja Majdov (SRB) by ippon in golden score in a battle between the 2018 world champion and the 2017 world champion.

In the second semi-final former world silver medallist Toth Krisztian (HUN) slipped to defeat against Gwak by a waza-ari score which was the only score in the last four meeting.

The first bronze medal was won by world number 16 Eduard Trippel (GER) who executed a neat sumi-gaeshi to catch Toth by surprise for ippon.

The second bronze medal went to former -81kg world champion Avtandili Tchrikishvili (GEO) after Majdov was disqualified for picking up his third shido for a gripping infringement. In an all-action first-time meeting it was the elder statesman who prevailed and earned his first Grand Slam medal in the -90kg category since moving up in 2017.