The miracle of Diyora Keldiyorova started with her grandmother

On the second day of competition at the Olympic judo tournament in Paris, the event was marked by remarkable performances and an electrifying atmosphere in the packed venue. Diyora Keldiyorova of Uzbekistan delivered an outstanding performance, coached by Marko Spittka, to claim the first Olympic title in the history of Uzbek judo for both women and men. This historic achievement is poised to inspire generations of young girls in a country that had no tradition of women's judo until recently.

Keldiyorova, reflecting on her victory, said, "To change the life of women in Uzbekistan is my mission.” Her journey to Olympic gold has been building for several years, with her momentum peaking after reaching the world final in Abu Dhabi earlier this year. In Paris, Keldiyorova made history by defeating the reigning champion, Uta Abe of Japan, and Olympic champion in the -48kg category from Tokyo, Distria Krasniqi of Kosovo, in the final.

Keldiyorova’s journey to the top has been marked by her resilience and determination. Known for winning the Grand Slams in Baku and Almada earlier this year, she consistently demonstrated her prowess throughout the season. Her triumph in Paris is the culmination of years of hard work and dedication.

Her life will undoubtedly change following this victory, but Keldiyorova remains grounded, crediting her grandmother for encouraging her to start judo at the age of six. As she looks back on her journey, the date of 28 July 2024 will stand out as a day she wrote her own chapter in the history of judo. Despite her newfound fame, Keldiyorova’s humble nature and close bond with her pets, a cat and a Siberian husky, will help her stay connected to her roots.

The second day of the judo tournament in Paris was a testament to the sport's excitement and unpredictability, with Keldiyorova's victory serving as a beacon of hope and inspiration for women in Uzbekistan and beyond.

From the beginning of the final block for the women, there was an expectant energy in the air. Krasniqi, known for her powerful throws, faced Giuffrida in the semifinal. Despite her reputation, she couldn't land any significant throws on the Italian World Champion. Instead, Krasniqi had to rely on penalties to secure her spot in the final. A win is a win, and she was through.

The other semifinal match, Keldiyorova versus Buchard, promised fireworks. At one point, both athletes launched into an attack simultaneously. Buchard went for a side takedown while Keldiyorova executed a drop seoi-nage, scoring a waza-ari. With the score on the board, Keldiyorova switched to a tactical approach, focusing on defense and managing the clock. Towards the end, she attempted a tomoe-nage that appeared to be a fake attack, which could have resulted in her third shido, but the referee let it slide. Keldiyorova was through to the final.

The first bronze medal match, between Pimenta and Giuffrida, was a purely tactical affair, with both trying to make the other look passive. Ultimately, Giuffrida accrued three shidos first, giving the Brazilian the bronze.

In the second bronze medal match, Buchard faced Pupp. The French player was clearly more dominant, yet the match extended into Golden Score. Pupp, already down by two shidos, eventually fell to Buchard's counter against her uchimata, securing the winning score for Buchard.

In the gold medal match, the experienced Krasniqi met the hungry Keldiyorova. This time, hunger triumphed over experience. Midway through the contest, Keldiyorova dropped low with a sleeve seoi-nage, rolling Krasniqi onto her side for a waza-ari. From then on, Keldiyorova played a defensive game, ensuring she launched enough attacks to avoid disqualification for passivity. It was a masterclass in tactical judo, earning her the Olympic title.

Uzbekistan’s first ever Olympic champion. Defeating Abe, Buchard, and Krasniqi all in one day is a feat deserving of all the accolades. This champion chose her destiny.

As she stepped off the tatami, Olympic champion Diyora Keldiyorova said, “It was such a hard job to get here and I have only thought about the Olympic Games, all the time, just the Games. It wasn’t just about the medal but specifically about the gold medal. It’s such an important day for me, my parents, family, all of us. This is a whole team medal, for me, for Marko, it’s Uzbekistan’s gold.”

This was the third Olympic medal won by a female Uzbek, but only their second at a summer Olympic Games. Yekaterina KHILKO won a bronze in 2008 women’s trampoline gymnastics. Their other female medallist was Lina CHERYAZOVA, who took gold in the freestyle skiing aerials event at the Lillehammer 1994 Olympic Winter Games.

Watch the analysis by Oon Yeoh at Judo Crazy.