Heavyweight shake-up in Linz: European powerhouses hunt breakthrough wins

The final day of the Upper Austria Grand Prix 2026 in Linz belongs to the big divisions and even bigger moments. Five remaining categories will close the event, bringing together Olympic medallists, seasoned champions and fearless newcomers all on the same tatami. With raw power and ambition colliding, the stage is set for serious upsets.

In the -90 kg field, all eyes turn to the Georgian men. Tato Grigalashvili steps up into a new category, and his aggressive, high-tempo judo could immediately shake up the rankings. His teammate Luka Javakhishvili also arrives as a strong medal candidate, giving Georgia a serious one-two punch. The top seeds come from Brazil, with Rafael Macedo and Marcelo Fronckowiak leading the list after strong results in Lima and Guadalajara in 2025. But right behind them waits French star Maxime-Gael Ngayap Hambou, the Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medallist, still chasing his first Grand Prix medal after several Grand Slam podiums.

Linz could be the turning point where Europe’s heavy hitters step into a new gear.

At -78 kg, Emma Reid enters as the top-ranked judoka, but her path is far from easy. Tall Dutch athlete Lieke Derks, already a past medallist in Linz, looks ready to push for a real breakthrough on the IJF World Tour. Another interesting name is Marie Branser, whose experience might finally translate into a big result as she fights for valuable Olympic qualification points for Guinea.

The -100 kg division is filled with star power, and Europe is right in the middle of it. Anton Savytskiy, fresh from a final appearance in Paris earlier this season, leads the seeding and will try to confirm his strong form. Standing in his way is Ilia Sulamanidze, Georgia’s Paris 2024 Olympic silver medallist, who travels to Linz with a simple mission: win gold. Zsombor Veg is hunting his third Grand Prix medal, while fan-favourite Jorge Fonseca, an Olympic medallist and double world champion, brings his trademark all-out ippon style.

In +78 kg, Raz Hershko returns as clear favourite after missing the Tashkent Grand Slam 2026. The Israeli heavyweight combines experience with serious physical presence and could dominate the field. Her toughest challenge might come from teammate Yuli Alma Mishiner, though the rest of the draw remains wide open for surprise podiums.

The +100 kg category has already delivered a shock. Guram Tushishvili, one of the sport’s biggest names with Olympic silver, a 2018 world title and multiple Masters, Grand Slam and Grand Prix victories, went out in the first round against rising star Ibrahim Tataroglu. The Turkish heavyweight is no stranger to success: cadet world champion in Zagreb in 2023, one of the youngest competitors at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and junior world bronze medallist in Dushanbe in 2024. Now, after taking down a legend, he looks ready to challenge the senior elite as well. Behind him, Ushangi Kokauri, Jur Spijkers and Martti Puumalainen all have the tools to flip the script with one explosive exchange.

In the heaviest divisions, one throw can rewrite the pecking order in a heartbeat.

Source: JudoInside