2021 Baku Grand Slam: Men’s Division
-60kg: Papinashvili (GEO)
The gold medal match between Russia’s Albert Oguzov and Georgia’s Jaba Papinashvili was a tough one and in the end, what separated the two was a waza-ari score earned by Papinashvili when he did a dynamic sode-tsurikomi-goshi in the first half of the match.
Final Results
1. PAPINASHVILI Jaba (GEO)
2. OGUZOV Albert (RUS)
3. ALIYEV Rovshan (AZE)
3. KONDO Hayato (JPN)
5. ENKHTAIVAN Sumiyabazar (MGL)
5. YUSIFOV Ahmad (AZE)
7. AGHAYEV Balabay (AZE)
7. FOCA Nicolae (MDA)
-66kg: Safarov (AZE)
This category featured two very exciting players in the final: Home favorite Orkhan Safarov and the stylish Moldovan Denis Vieru. Perhaps it was home ground advantage but it was Safarov who proved to be the victor. He threw Vieru with a quick and powerful osoto-gari.
Final Results
1. SAFAROV Orkhan (AZE)
2. VIERU Denis (MDA)
3. TANAKA Ryoma (JPN)
3. HONCHARKO Yevhen (UKR)
5. AIDA Yuji (JPN)
5. SHAMILOV Yakub (RUS)
7. NINIASHVILI Bagrati (GEO)
7. TAKABATAKE Eric (BRA)
-73kg: Makhmadbekov (RUS)
The home crowd had two favorites to cheer for, Rustam Orujov and Hidayat Heydarov but neither one made it to the final. Instead, it was Japan’s newcomer Ken Oyoshi and Russia’s very capable Makhmadbek Makhmadbekov. The match was decided in Golden Score when the Japanese player got his third shido and thus, a hansoku-make.
Final Results
1. MAKHMADBEKOV Makhmadbek (RUS)
2. OYOSHI Ken (JPN)
3. HEYDAROV Hidayat (AZE)
3. TSEND-OCHIR Tsogtbaatar (MGL)
5. VENNEKOLD Lukas (GER)
5. KHAZHALIEV Ayub (RUS)
7. TURDUBAEV Ertur (KGZ)
7. SARAKHONOV Muhammadrahim (TJK)
-81kg: Albayrak (TUR)
Croatia’s Dominik Druzeta was no match for Turkey’s Vedat Albayrak who threw him with a massive hip technique for ippon in the opponent seconds their gold medal contest.
Final Results
1. ALBAYRAK Vedat (TUR)
2. DRUZETA Dominik (CRO)
3. GAUTHIER DRAPEAU Francois (CAN)
3. HAJIYEV Eljan (AZE)
5. GOTONOAGA Dorin (MDA)
5. JAFAROV Hasil (AZE)
7. TOMOKIYO Hikaru (JPN)
7. UNGVARI Attila (HUN)
-90kg: Mashiyama (JPN)
Home favorite Mammadali Mehdiyev faced off against yet another Japanese newcomer, Kosuke Mashiyama in the gold medal match but there were no big throws to be seen. Instead, the Japanese won by penalties when Mehdiyev got his third shido for doing a a leg grab.
Final Results
1. MASHIYAMA Kosuke (JPN)
2. MEHDIYEV Mammadali (AZE)
3. GVINIASHVILI Beka (GEO)
3. MAISURADZE Luka (GEO)
5. TAJIMA Goki (JPN)
5. SHEROV Erlan (KGZ)
7. TALIBOV Vugar (AZE)
7. ISMAYILOV Rufat (AZE)
-100kg: Bilalov (RUS)
It was left vs left with Canada’s rising star Shady Elnahas going up against Russia’s Niaaz Bilalov. It was in Golden Score that the Russian struck with a perfect osoto-gari for ippon.
Final Results
1. BILALOV Niiaz (RUS)
2. ELNAHAS Shady (CAN)
3. SANEBLIDZE Onise (GEO)
3. IIDA Kentaro (JPN)
5. KARIMLI Adil (AZE)
5. HUMBERTO Andre (BRA)
7. KUMRIC Zlatko (CRO)
7. JAPARIDZE Mikheil (GEO)
+100kg: Saito (JPN)
Japan’s young heavyweight Tatsuru Saito showed once again how good Japanese players are at footwork when he threw Russia’s Temur Rakhimov with a sasae-tsurikomi-ashi for ippon. Could he be the next great heavyweight from Japan?
Final Results
1. SAITO Tatsuru (JPN)
2. RAKHIMOV Temur (TJK)
3. ODKHUU Tsetsentsengel (MGL)
3. KOKAURI Ushangi (AZE)
5. PALMINI Tiago (BRA)
5. HEINLE Sven (GER)
7. ALLERSTORFER Daniel (AUT)
7. ERDOGAN Cemal (TUR)
2021 Baku Grand Slam: Women’s Division
-48kg: Tatsukawa (JPN)
Japan’s Rina Tatsukawa went into this competition ranking 119th in the World but she ended up getting the gold, defeating Austria’s Katharina Tanzer with a slick sumi-gaeshi for ippon.
Final Results
1. TATSUKAWA Rina (JPN)
2. TANZER Katharina (AUT)
3. RISHONY Shira (ISR)
3. PICHKALEVA Daria (RUS)
5. HAMIDOVA Shafag (AZE)
5. GANBAATAR Narantsetseg (MGL)
7. GILIAZOVA Sabina (RUS)
7. GURBANLI Aisha (AZE)
-52kg: Pupp (HUN)
Kosovo’s Olympic Champion Distria Krasniqi moved back up to this weight class but was thrown for a massive ippon by Hungary’s Reka Pupp, who went on to produce another huge ippon in her final, against Britain’s Chelsie Giles.
Final Results
1. PUPP Reka (HUN)
2. GILES Chelsie (GBR)
3. BISHRELT Khorloodoi (MGL)
3. POLIKARPOVA Anastasia (RUS)
5. WURFEL Annika (GER)
5. KRASNIQI Distria (KOS)
7. NUGAEVA Liliia (RUS)
7. RYHEUL Amber (BEL)
-57kg: Tamaoki (JPN)
Azerbaijan is not traditionally known for its women’s team but in recent years it has been working hard to build up its female players. This effort paid off when Ichinkhorloo Munkhtsedev made it to the final of this weight class. There, she faced off against Japan’s experienced Momo Tamaoki, who pinned her for ippon. But it was still a very good performance by the Azeri player.
Final Results
1. TAMAOKI Momo (JPN)
2. MUNKHTSEDEV Ichinkhorloo (AZE)
3. STARKE Pauline (GER)
3. LIBEER Mina (BEL)
5. LKHAGVATOGOO Enkhriilen (MGL)
5. HOLGUIN Mariah (USA)
7. PEREIRA Jessica (BRA)
7. FRITZE Caroline (GER)
-63kg: Renshall (GBR)
The gold medal match was between Mongolia’s Gankhaich Bold and Britain’s rising star, Lucy Renshall. In Golden Score, Bold attacked with an uchimata that caused both players to end up in a newaza situation. This suited Renshall perfectly, when went on to pin her Mongolian opponent for ippon.
Final Results
1. RENSHALL Lucy (GBR)
2. BOLD Gankhaich (MGL)
3. BARRIOS Anriquelis (VEN)
3. HORIKAWA Megumi (JPN)
5. HAECKER Katharina (AUS)
5. MORAES Gabriella (BRA)
7. SCHMIDT Agatha (GER)
7. ZACHOVA Renata (CZE)
-70kg: Terada (JPN)
Both finalists in this category are relative unknowns. Prior to this competition, Japan’s Utana Terada didn’t have any IJF world tour medals to her credit and neither did her opponent, Lara Cvjetko of Croatia. In the final, Terada produced a superb Korean-style tai-otoshi (done purely off the sleeve) for ippon.
Final Results
1. TERADA Utana (JPN)
2. CVJETKO Lara (CRO)
3. BUTKEREIT Miriam (GER)
3. PETERSEN POLLARD Kelly (GBR)
5. SILVA Millena (BRA)
5. HOELTERHOFF Julie (GER)
7. HASANLI Gunel (AZE)
7. TSERENDULAM Enkhchimeg (MGL)
-78kg: Malzahn
Germany’s veteran campaigner Luise Malzahn won yet another IJF World Tour gold medal to her resume (she had already won five IJF golds prior to this event) by throwing the Israeli player, Inbar Lanir, with a well-time osoto-gari that had her opponent flat on her back.
Final Results
1. MALZAHN Luise (GER)
2. LANIR Inbar (ISR)
3. PRODAN Karla (CRO)
3. LEON Karen (VEN)
5. ZENKER Teresa (GER)
5. DUDENAITE Migle (LTU)
7. BATBAYAR Erdenet-Od (MGL)
7. LIALINA Tatiana (RUS)
+78kg: Lucht (GER)
Perhaps inspired and spurred on by her teammate, Louse Malzahn’s gold medal just one weight class below, Germany’ Renee Lucht launched her opponent, Adiyasuren Amarsaikhan.of Mongolia for a massive tsurikomi-goshi for ippon. There was no doubting who won that one.
Final Results
1. LUCHT Renee (GER)
2. AMARSAIKHAN Adiyasuren (MGL)
3. MARANIC Ivana (CRO)
3. HERSHKO Raz (ISR)
5. FACCHOLLI Sibilla (BRA)
5. SZIGETVARI Mercedesz (HUN)
7. JABLONSKYTE Sandra (LTU)