Golden Score twist in Tbilisi: Majdov’s title push cut short by knee injury

The European Championships final in Tbilisi turned in the harshest way possible for Nemanja Majdov. In golden score, his challenge for the title against home favourite Luka Maisuradze was abruptly derailed by a knee injury. Majdov launched an Ura-nage attack, but on the entry he took impact on his leg; his kneecap briefly dislocated and snapped back. The sudden instability broke his posture, and in the same exchange Maisuradze seized the compromised position, took control, and finished the action to close the match.

One exchange in golden score can flip everything, and this one did.

Up to that moment, Majdov looked composed and tactically sharp. He had managed the rhythm, kept the contest tight, and pushed it into overtime where margins are tiny and fatigue magnifies every slip. Instead of a potential European title, the Serbian judoka had to accept silver—still his fourth senior European Championships medal, and another sign of his staying power at the top.

His route to the final underlined that consistency. He opened with a win over a Bulgarian opponent, then moved past France’s Alpha Djalo. In the quarterfinal, Majdov beat Austria’s Wachid Borchashvili to book a semifinal place.

There he faced Georgia’s double Olympic champion Lasha Bekauri in front of a loud home crowd. Bekauri, however, was not fully fit: he had picked up a shoulder problem earlier in the tournament and fought with visible taping, seemingly limiting his ability to drive on that side. Majdov took advantage of the situation, controlled the exchanges, and secured victory by Ippon with an arm lock.

The final itself had developed into a tense tactical battle rather than a wild shootout. The decisive moment came when Majdov initiated his own offense and his base gave way. It wasn’t a strategic mistake—just a physical interruption at exactly the wrong time, ending a European athlete’s medal run that had been built on precision and control.

Source: JudoInside