{"id":14095,"date":"2026-06-22T09:33:53","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T02:33:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/?p=14095"},"modified":"2026-06-22T09:33:55","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T02:33:55","slug":"pirelli-prevails-in-a-day-full-of-surprises","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/pirelli-prevails-in-a-day-full-of-surprises\/","title":{"rendered":"Pirelli prevails in a day full of surprises"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It was a difficult day for many of the favourites in a category that proved particularly open and unpredictable from the very beginning. The surprises started early with the premature elimination of top seed Anton Savytskiy of Ukraine in his opening men’s -100kg contest at the Ulaanbaatar Grand Slam judo championships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Olympic silver medallist Ilia Sulamanidze of Gerogia looked more convincing in the early stages of the competition but saw his journey stopped in the quarter-final by 2023 world champion Arman Adamian of Russia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adamian\u2019s own run ended in the semi-final against a serious outsider, Gennaro Pirelli. The Italian had already made a strong statement by claiming the European title in April in Georgia, a result that confirmed his status among the elite but in this field the top spot was potentially reserved for others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Pirelli securing his place in the final, the question remained: who would join him? There was no shortage of candidates. Olympic champion Zelym Kotsoiev of Azerbaijan was still in contention, as was the consistent Simeon Catharina of the Netherlands, who had recently produced several impressive performances on the World Judo Tour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Japanese Ryotaro Masuchi disrupted the predictions for several rounds before Dzhafar Kostoev of the UAE appeared to take control of the situation. However, his momentum was halted by Russian Idar Bifov, winner of the Tbilisi Grand Slam earlier this year, who secured his place in the final.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lower half of the draw had also seen all expectations turned upside down and the result was an unexpected final between Pirelli and Bifov.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a tactical and tense final, with neither judoka able to gain the upper hand during normal time. The contest moved into golden score with both athletes having already received two penalties. After more than three additional minutes of suspense, it was Pirelli who emerged victorious as Bifov received his third penalty, handing the Italian a memorable gold medal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After his final, Pirelli explained, “This success is the result of long-term work, but the turning point came after the heartbreak of finishing fifth in the Paris Olympic mixed team event. That defeat completely changed my mentality and made me train even harder. Since then, I have placed much greater emphasis on mental strength, which I believe is even more important than physical preparation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am a superstitious Neapolitan, so I prefer to take things one step at a time, focusing on each competition rather than looking too far ahead. The next step will be the Lima Grand Prix in August, followed by strategic preparation with my coaches for major events such as the Baku World Championships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our Italian mixed team team already has a European silver medal and a world bronze medal, so we strongly believe we have what it takes to reach the top and win gold. At the same time, I have my own personal goal: to go get the red backpatch in Baku.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minjong overcomes the giants to claim his first Grand Slam gold medal<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Reigning men’s +100kg world champion Inal Tasoev pf Russia arrived in Mongolia as the top seed, firmly established among the leaders of the world ranking. But in judo, being number one on the draw is never a guarantee of victory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An opening win against Giannis Antoniou of Cyprus confirmed Tasoev\u2019s good form, although the Cypriot offered strong resistance. His second contest against compatriot Valerii Endovitskii of Russia proved far more demanding. It took a lengthy golden score for Tasoev to finally overcome his opponent, scoring a yuko after a five-second hold down. A battle that would undoubtedly leave its mark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was then time for the semi-final against Kim Minjong (photo above). Tasoev clearly intended to finish the contest quickly, perhaps too quickly. On his first uchi-mata attack, Minjong produced a magnificent counter and appeared to score ippon. The score was eventually reviewed and reduced to waza-ari, leaving everything still to play for. However, Minjong, confident in his strength and tactical approach, managed to neutralise Tasoev\u2019s attacks and even put the Russian under pressure on several occasions. Exhausted, Tasoev had to accept that, on this day, he had found a stronger opponent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the bottom half of the draw, the two standout performers were Irakli Demetrashvili of Georgia and Jur Spijkers of the Netherlands, with the Georgian eventually taking the upper hand in their semi-final to set up a gold medal contest against Minjong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The final quickly turned in Minjong’s favour as the Korean took the lead with a yuko. However, approaching the final minute, Demetrashvili levelled the score. The Georgian remained under pressure, having already accumulated two shidos. This ultimately proved decisive, as a third penalty ended his hopes of gold and handed victory to Minjong. The Korean claimed the first grand slam gold medal of his career and announced himself as a major force in the category.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To conclude the day, Minjong said, “When I started judo at 12, it was just for fun, not for championships. But as I improved and began winning on the world stage, it became deeply meaningful, not just for me, but for my family. Because I am on the shorter side for my weight category, I’ve had to adapt my style to fight more like a lightweight rather than a typical heavyweight. This evolution has been a major part of my journey and I will keep pushing until I achieve my ultimate goal of winning an Olympic gold medal.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Murao\u2019s masterclass ends with a ninth Grand Slam gold <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To say that Sanshiro Murao of Japan was the favourite would be an understatement. The reigning men’s -90kg world champion, Olympic silver medallist at Paris 2024 and winner of eight grand slam gold medals, including the last four in a row that he won, Murao arrived in Ulaanbaatar with credentials that spoke for themselves. A judoka blessed with exceptional technical ability, he immediately demonstrated his class with an opening o-soto-gari against Kenny Komi Bedel of Italy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the second round, Thomas Scharfetter of Austria proved a stubborn opponent but eventually conceded by two yuko scores. A waza-ari and two more yuko throws against Serbian Boris Rutovic then secured Murao\u2019s place in the semi-final, where he added another victory against Czechia’s Adam Kopecky. Perhaps not the most spectacular version of Murao, but one of formidable efficiency. If he had come to Ulaanbaatar in search of valuable contest time, he certainly found it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maxime-Ga\u00ebl Ngayap Hambou of France was one of the great surprises of the French team at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Against all expectations, he captured a magnificent bronze medal in front of a passionate home crowd. Following his European bronze medal in April this season, he arrived in Ulaanbaatar with growing confidence and used his international experience on the grand slam stage to progress to the semi-finals. The final step proved too high for Ngayap Hambou however, as Kim Jonghoon of Korea stopped the Frenchman\u2019s impressive run to book his place in the final against Murao.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The final promised to be explosive. There was little suspense though as Murao quickly took control of the contest. A first waza-ari came from an o-soto-gari combined with a sudden change of direction, before the Japanese star immediately followed with a hold-down for ippon. It was the ninth grand slam gold medal of his career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Murao declared, “It\u2019s great to win today but I still have things to work on as I look ahead to the world championships in October. When I threw my opponent successfully, honestly, I just felt a massive wave of relief. While this is the first step toward the LA Olympics, my focus is entirely on the upcoming world championships in Baku. My goal is to go there and take the gold. To do that, I need to beat my biggest rival, Lasha Bekauri. I\u2019ve never beaten him, so he\u2019s the opponent I want to win against the most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winning here in Mongolia also means a lot. I\u2019m a big fan of sumo and seeing how many Mongolian athletes compete in Japan creates a special connection for me, making this victory feel incredibly rewarding.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arai rises as Dicko falls<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

She had not travelled to Mongolia to leave without a medal, something that happens extremely rarely in her career. Despite winning her opening contest, Raz Hershko of Israel had to say goodbye to the women’s +78kg competition after being disqualified for applying a prohibited technique against Mao Arai of Japan. With the top half of the draw suddenly opening up, Arai took full advantage, progressing all the way to the final following her semi-final victory over Emma-Melis Aktas of Estonia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In the bottom half of the draw, things were more straightforward for the other major favourite, Romane Dicko of France. The 2022 world champion and double Olympic medallist is one of the most established figures in the category. Her three World Judo Masters titles, 13 grand slam medals including nine golds, seven European titles and two grand prix victories speak for themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without any real difficulty, Dicko secured her place in the final, where she would meet Arai. The challenge proved too great against the Japanese judoka, inspired by the performances of her delegation and encouraged throughout the contest by her national teammates, from the stands. In the end, that support carried her to victory as she secured a hold down that forced Dicko to submit, capturing the gold medal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arai said, “It feels amazing to win here, especially since it\u2019s been about two years since my last victory, at the 2024 Tokyo Grand Slam. After finishing second at the world championships, I am truly happy to take first place. To prepare, I spent a lot of time with my coaches analysing my past losses, including my contest against Roman Dicko, and practised extensively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With every grand slam now serving as an Olympic qualifier, the environment is entirely different. The competition has intensified because so many athletes are fighting for qualification points. This makes the next two years incredibly challenging as everyone grows stronger, but I am determined to keep pushing forward without losing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My next tournament is the world championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, where my goal is to win and secure the red backnumber. I must say that since starting judo at age ten, I have always dreamed of becoming an Olympic champion and winning the mixed team gold in Los Angeles would mean everything to me because it represents the combined strength of the entire team, not just individual effort.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Experience, surprises and gold for Lytvynenko<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Few could have predicted the final that would unfold in the -78 kg category with the impressive list of contenders gathered in Ulaanbaatar. Before reaching the final showdown, the preliminary rounds had already produced their share of drama and surprises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the top of the draw, world number one Anna Monta Olek of Germany, silver medallist at the last world championships, in 2025, arrived as the clear favourite. An opening victory against Alexandra Riabchenko (RUS) appeared to confirm her status, but the German star was about to face a challenge unlike any other in the next round: the ageless Audrey Tcheum\u00e9o of France.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ageless is indeed the perfect word to describe the incredible career of the French champion. At 36 years old, Tcheum\u00e9o has achieved almost everything possible on the world stage. World champion in 2011, fifteen years ago, she has accumulated four world championship medals, four World Judo Masters podium finishes, 19 grand slam medals, including ten golds, five European titles, 16 grand prix medals and, of course, two Olympic medals, one silver and one bronze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Yet Audrey Tcheum\u00e9o is still there, still competing at the highest level and still capable of defeating the very best. Anna Monta Olek experienced this first-hand, as she was comprehensively beaten by the French veteran. Tcheum\u00e9o continued her remarkable journey by defeating Yael van Heemst (NED) to secure yet another grand slam final appearance, a truly outstanding achievement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the bottom half of the draw, the scenario unfolded more according to expectations, with Yelyzaveta Lytvynenko of the UAE progressing to the final without ever looking seriously troubled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The final began as a battle of strength. During a transition to the ground, Lytvynenko took her time to establish her control before freeing her leg. Tcheum\u00e9o attempted to resist but the pressure applied by the UAE-judoka was too strong. Lytvynenko secured the hold down for ippon and claimed another grand slam gold medal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yelyzaveta Lytvynenko explained, at the end of the day, “Today was a hard day but now I feel much better than I did this morning. I am very excited for the Los Angeles Olympic Games, especially since these two years after the Paris Olympics went by so fast. To be honest, I didn’t really have a specific game plan against the French judoka; my coach just told me, “You have to win,” so I won! I don’t study opponents deeply, but because you remember how they fight from previous contests, it becomes more about feeling what they do on the mat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I will celebrate this victory in Mongolia as my friend is going to show me around so I can explore the country. I truly love all the support from the fans and enjoy taking selfies and photographs with them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It was a difficult day for many of the favourites in a category that proved particularly open and<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14100,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[106],"class_list":["post-14095","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsbeat","tag-judo"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t