Mascha Ballhaus pins her third title (by Gabriela Sabau/IJF)
German’s Mascha Ballhaus claimed the -52kg title while Russian Ayub Bliev the -60kg at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam judo championships, their third in the series.
Ballhaus emerged unexpectedly, overcoming the favoured Odette Giuffrida of Italy with authority to reach the women’s -52kg title contest.
Hungarian Reka Pupp earned her place in the final after delivering the only successful challenge of the day to Distria Krasniqi of Kosova, whose recent form had seemed unshakeable.
After four minutes without a score, Pupp managed to turn her opponent onto her side for a decisive yuko, a result that secured her spot in the final and felt almost like a gold medal in itself.
After an initial phase of observation, both finalists sought to establish control, testing one another tactically. It was ultimately on the ground that Ballhaus found the breakthrough, transitioning seamlessly into a hold-down in two movements to secure ippon.
The German judoka’s precision left Pupp visibly dejected after her spectacular semi-final performance. This victory marked Ballhaus’s third grand slam gold and perhaps her most significant yet.
In the men’s -60kg Bliev advanced to the final after a confident series of victories, defeating Tumenjargal Tuvshintur of Mongolia, Konstantin Simeonidis of the UAE and Ahmad Yusifov of Azerbaijan, confirming his status as the top seed.
From the opposite half of the draw, Ariunbold Enkhtaivan of Mongolia disrupted expectations by overcoming Giorgi Sardalashvili of Georgia, the 2024 Abu Dhabi world champion, with a superb ippon in the semi-final to secure his place in the title contest.
It did not take long for Bliev to take a firm hold on the final, scoring a waza-ari within seconds. Enkhtaivan threw everything forward in an attempt to catch up but Bliev was in complete control, managing the contest with authority to capture the third grand slam title of his career.
In the women’s -48kg, China’s Xinran Hui secured her place in the final after a commanding run through the preliminary rounds, marked by a swift victory over top seed Abiba Abuzhakynova of Kazakhstan and a decisive golden-score ippon against Sabina Giliazova of Russia.
Spaniard Laura Martinez Abelenda emerged triumphant from an all-Spanish semi-final, overcoming Eva Perez Soler to book her place in the gold-medal contest.
After a cautious opening minute in the final, Abelenda took the lead with a low o-uchi-gari, scoring waza-ari. Midway through the contest, each athlete received a shido, adding further tension to an already tactical encounter.
Under pressure, yet still dangerous with her opportunistic seoi-otoshi attempts, Abelenda managed the tempo expertly and preserved her advantage to claim the first gold medal of the grand slam.
Mimi Huh of Korea earned her place in the women’s -57kg title contest after defeating Switzerland’s Binta Ndiaye in a closely contested semi-final.
Italian Giulia Carna advanced to the final after eliminating German Seija Ballhaus and securing further victories over Spaniard Marta Garcia Martin and Julie Beurskens of the Netherlands.
The first three minutes unfolded as a succession of seoi-otoshi attempts from both sides, none of them threatening enough to break through.
The most dangerous attack came from Carna, whose more committed and better-positioned seoi-otoshi earned Mimi Huh a first shido. With the score still level and only the Korean judoka carrying a penalty, the contest moved into golden score.
As Carna appeared to be gaining the upper hand, a momentary lapse on the ground changed everything. Huh seized her chance without hesitation; exhausted and under pressure, she found the perfect opportunity to secure a hold-down.
Five seconds were all she needed. It was gold in Abu Dhabi, a city that continues to bring her remarkable success.
Walide Khyar of France reached the final of the men’s -66kg after a strong and controlled morning in the upper half of the draw, while Russian Murad Chopanov advanced from the lower half following a series of dominant performances.
When two specialists in close-contact judo and kumi-kata engage, the smallest imperfection can lead to a score and that is exactly what happened when Chopanov registered the first yuko with a subtle ko-uchi-gari.
The pace then intensified, driven by Khyar’s relentless attacks, yet Chopanov managed to control what he could, absorbing the pressure as the seconds slipped away.
It was only at the very last moment, on the final gong, that the Frenchman levelled the score, bringing the contest to one yuko apiece.
A high-intensity golden score was inevitable, with Khyar continuing to push forward and Chopanov remaining a constant threat. Ultimately, it was a final yoko-guruma for a yuko that secured the title for Walide Khyar.
LEADING RESULTS
Men’s -60 kg
1. BLIEV Ayub (RUS)
2. ENKHTAIVAN Ariunbold (MGL)
3. SARDALASHVILI Giorgi (GEO)
3. YILDIZ Salih (TUR)
5. VERSTRAETEN Jorre (BEL)
5. YUSIFOV Ahmad (AZE)
7. SIMEONIDIS Konstantin (UAE)
7. BAKYTZHAN Aman (KAZ)
Men’s -66 kg
1. KHYAR Walide (FRA)
2. CHOPANOV Murad (RUS)
3. NIETO CHINARRO Adrian (ESP)
3. MANZI Elios (ITA)
5. RENARD Alexis (FRA)
5. GARCIA TORNE David (ESP)
7. NAGUCHEV Abrek (RUS)
7. LIMA Willian (BRA)
Women’s -52 kg
1. BALLHAUS Mascha (GER)
2. PUPP Reka (HUN)
3. GIUFFRIDA Odette (ITA)
3. KRASNIQI Distria (KOS)
5. PRIMO Gefen (ISR)
5. VAN KREVEL Naomi (NED)
7. GYERTYAS Roza (HUN)
7. FUKUNAGA Hako (JPN)
Women’s -48 kg
1. MARTINEZ ABELENDA Laura (ESP)
2. HUI Xinran (CHN)
3. ABUZHAKYNOVA Abiba (KAZ)
3. MORI Yua (JPN)
5. PEREZ SOLER Eva (ESP)
5. GILIAZOVA Sabina (RUS)
7. GANBAATAR Narantsetseg (MGL)
7. BABULFATH Tara (SWE)
Women’s -57 kg
1. HUH Mimi (KOR)
2. CARNA Giulia (ITA)
3. GARCIA MARTIN Marta (ESP)
3. BEURSKENS Julie (NED)
5. NDIAYE Binta (SUI)
5. ELKINA Natalia (RUS)
7. TOPRAK Acelya (GBR)
7. NELSON LEVY Timna (ISR)
