Murad Chopanov and Matteo Piras doing good business

The Qazaqstan Barysy Grand Slam in Astana witnessed Murad Chopanov (AIN) claim gold, with Matteo Piras (ITA) securing silver, and both athletes making significant strides in their Olympic qualification journey. The final clash between Chopanov and Piras was a thrilling encounter, marked by explosive judo exchanges. Despite Piras displaying strong attacks early on, Chopanov executed a powerful utsuri-goshi, scoring waza-ari and swiftly transitioning to kata-gatame for a second waza-ari, clinching his second grand slam gold medal and a leap in the Olympic rankings.

In the bronze medal contests, Saha (FIN) outplayed Buncic (SRB) with a strategic approach, securing a crucial waza-ari in golden score. This victory marked Saha's debut medal on the IJF World Judo Tour, bringing him closer to Olympic qualification. Meanwhile, Suleymanov (AZE) overcame Pashayev (AZE) in a tense all-Azeri battle, seizing his first grand slam medal with a well-timed counterattack.

Chopanov's path to victory saw him demonstrate his prowess with impressive wins over Lkhagvasuren (MGL), Rakhmetkali (KAZ), and Rahimov (TKM). In a quarter-final showdown against Rahimov, Chopanov executed a flawless kata-te-jime, swiftly submitting his opponent in just 90 seconds. He then faced Saha in the semi-final, where a decisive ippon secured his spot in the final.

Piras' journey showcased his resilience and skill, with notable victories over Kuanov (KAZ), Misirov (AIN), and Suleymanov (AZE). Piras displayed exceptional throwing techniques, including uki-waza and soto-makikomi, to secure crucial wins and advance to the final.

In a surprising turn of events, top seeds Khyar (FRA) and An (KOR) exited the competition early, leaving the -66kg category wide open for unexpected contenders to emerge. With the competition heating up, athletes are gearing up for intense battles as they vie for Olympic qualification and glory on the tatami.