Some medals have already been awarded at the Judo World Championships. This Sunday, the event in Tashkent was integrated into an artistic setting with dance, music and bright colours. Marius Vizer, Chairman of the World Judo Federation, and Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov graced the ceremony – which concluded with the national anthem of the host country.
Horikawa confirmed achievements this year
Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard of Canada took gold in the 63 kilogram weight class. Last year she brought home bronze from the Olympic Games. In Tashkent, thanks to good performances in the preliminary rounds as well as in the semi-finals, her place in the fight for the World Championship title was assured.
Megumi Horikawa was to be her opponent there. The Japanese proved her class this year with two Grand Slam victories and defeated, among others, world number one Lucy Renshall in Tashkent.
A true buzzer beater victory for Horikawa Megumi of Japan!
Before this year, her last gold medal at any WJT event was in 2012. 10 years later, she has 2 grand slam golds and a world title! Judo JudoWorlds Champion WorldChampion WorldChampionships Tashkent Judoka win pic. twitter.com/szov3YnEEM
– Judo (@Judo) October 9, 2022
In the final between Horikawa and Beauchemin-Pinard, the Japanese applied a textbook uchi-mata. The inside leg throw opened the way for Horikawa to win the World Championship title.
The gold medal was presented to her by Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov.
“The Uchi-Mata is one of my strongest techniques. I’m really happy to win the world championship final through my favourite technique,” Horikawa said.
Grigalashvili: “The Georgian heart has won “
Just 22 years old, Tato Grigalashvili is already a world champion. The Georgian had already won gold at European level at the end of April and before that in 2020.
Shamil Borchashvili from Austria won bronze in the men’s up to 81 kilograms – just like at the Olympics.
Matthias Casse from Belgium was world champion last year and was again among the front runners in Tashkent. The 25-year-old from Flanders defeated Borchashvili, among others, and ultimately had a chance of taking top honours, just like last year.
The final in Tashkent thus became an affair between the world number one, namely Grigalashvili, and the second in the line-up of the best in the weight category up to 81 kilograms, i.e. Casse. And at the same time it was a rematch of the world championship final in Budapest a year ago. In one of the most impressive clashes of this world championship so far, Grigalashvili came out on top.
Chungwon Choue, the chairman of the World Taekwondo Federation, presented the gold reward.
“I got the victory because of my Georgian soul. With my Georgian heart. We are fighters, a country of fighters. The Georgian heart won,” said the new world champion.
Signatures from some of the big names of the World Championships were coveted on the sidelines of the fourth day of competition in Tashkent. The youngsters were happy about it. Judoka to touch.