Abe’s lightning finish in Tashkent seals his 14th Grand Slam crown

In Tashkent, everyone knew who the main attraction was the moment the -66kg category stepped onto the tatami: Hifumi Abe. The double Olympic champion and four-time world champion arrived with massive expectations on his shoulders, but the World Judo Tour never hands out easy wins. Every contest demanded sharp focus, strong grips and clinical execution.

One explosive throw was all Abe needed to close the show in Tashkent.

None of his early opponents managed to seriously trouble him, yet Abe still had to stay switched on in every exchange. With his trademark calm and control, he worked his way through the draw and once again booked a place in a Grand Slam final. Waiting for him there was fellow Japanese judoka Shinsei Hattori, who had impressed all day with confident wins and aggressive attacks.

For Hattori, this was the biggest final of his career so far, and he came in looking ready. But after a brief feeling-out phase, Abe took over the tempo. The Olympic champion closed the distance, shut down Hattori’s attempts to build pressure and then launched a powerful hip attack. The throw sent Hattori flat onto his back, ending the contest in style and adding another gold medal to Abe’s growing collection.

That win marked Abe’s 14th Grand Slam title, reinforcing his dominance in one of judo’s most competitive divisions. Earlier in the day, top seed Nurali Emomali had hoped to challenge for that final, but his run was cut short by Hattori. The Tajik judoka still fought back for a shot at bronze against Italian athlete Valerio Accogli, a key European presence in the medal round.

Their clash stayed tight through regular time and moved into golden score with everything still level. Eventually, Emomali found his moment and scored a decisive yuko with o soto gari to secure bronze. The other bronze medal went to Abdullakh Parchiev, who capitalised on one cautious exchange against Channyeong Kim, countering hard for ippon. When the dust settled, though, the spotlight was firmly back on Abe and his remarkable Grand Slam record.

Source: JudoInside