Hyoga Ota defeats Bashaev in heavyweight final in Baku

The heavweight final in Baku between Tamerlan Bashaev (IJF) and Hyoga Ota (JPN) was a contest of very strong men and neither of them were capable of finding the slightest opportunity to score. It was necessary for a golden score period. Bashaev seemed to be a little more active and dangerous with his attacks but Ota was waiting, waiting and waiting until the right moment came. The right time was during one of Bashaev's attacks, one that was maybe a little less well prepared than some others. Ota countered for a yuko, enough to win the tenth gold medal of the event for Japan.

The first contest for a bronze medal opposed Yerassyl Kazhybayev (KAZ) and Saba Inaneishvili (GEO). The public needed to be a little patient but it was worth the wait. In golden score Yerassyl Kazhybayev executed a superb ura-nage for ippon. There was no chance for Inaneishvili to escape and the bronze medal was for Kazakhstan. 

It was Kanan Nasibov (AZE) and Kanta Nakano (JPN) who faced each other to win the second bronze medal. The public was definitely cheering for Nasibov but was suddenly silenced as Nakano executed an uchi-mata in two sequences. The first attack was simply to prepare the ground for the second that came straight afterwards. This time, Kanan Nasibov literally flew in the air, light like a feather, and landed on his back for ippon. The last bronze medal was for Nakano.

Prelims
Nothing is ever simple in judo, no judoka will ever tell you, "Today was too easy!" It is first of all a question of respect for your opponents, but it is also a reality, because even when you win with ease, you have to work hard to do it and at the end of the day, everyone is extremely tired. However, we can say that Tamerlan Bashaev (IJF) led his day of competition perfectly and that despite the opposition, he always found solutions that could give an impression of ease, misleading as we have said.

In the first round, it was Stephan Hegyi (AUT), double junior world medallist, who suffered Bashaev's great form with a textbook seoi-otoshi to the left, his first ippon of the day. Then Bashaev passed the obstacle of Yerassyl Kazhybayev (KAZ); a second ippon. In the semi-final, it was Kanta Nakano (JPN) who had the same fate; the third ippon! Tamerlan Bashaev could consider a new gold medal, but for having to face the winner of the second half of the draw, another Japanese judoka, since it was Hyoga Ota, a finalist in Tokyo in December, who came out of the elimination stages after victories against the bronze medallist in Paris at the beginning of February, Toma Nikiforov (BEL). He then beat Kanan Nasibov (AZE) and Saba Inaneishvili (GEO).