Dilshot Khalmatov finishes the Grand Prix with gold this time

Judofans had the opportunity to see some fearlessness, a style of judo that is not yet polished like the highest level. At the opening day of the Grand Prix in Zagreb the Dilshot Khalmatov (UKR) was explosive and persistent throughout the day and walked away with the gold medal this time after his unlucky silver at the Grand Prix in Linz.

The final U60kg was between Khalmatov and Azeri Ahmad Yusifov who was a medallist at the junior worlds in 2019 but since then has had a rough ride, winning his first World Judo Tour medal only this year, in Tashkent. Now he is really beginning to climb, his first final is a milestone.

The last fight U60kg went as the previous 5 final block contests had, fast-paced gripping, a huge range of attacking techniques and a clear desire to not give up the opportunity to stand on top of the podium. Normal time came and went with just a couple of penalties on the board and so golden score was required to settle things. It was the Ukrainian who held his nerve, leaving Yusifov with 3 penalties and a silver medal. Yusifov’s name has not resonated for many before but he took out young Genki Koga (JPN) in the tournament.

Both Israelis made it to bronze medal matches in this category. Shulman, the victor over number one seed Verstraeten, faced Yildiz, the number 3 seed, for his place on the podium. Twenty year old Wolczak made his way to the final block more quietly and faced the as yet unrewarded Frenchman, Hebrard. Wolczak has no reference on the World Judo Tour but he stunned the judo world in Tashkent at the 2022 World Championships when he placed 5th out of nowhere. Here in Zagreb, regardless of the result of the medal contest, he will be placed for the first time on the Tour, as will the French competitor.

Ariel Shulman and Salih Yildiz continued the momentum for their bronze medal with real dynamism. The Israeli attempted a number of sacrifice techniques and was also fast to transfer his energies to ne-waza. Yildiz struggled somewhat to keep up through some phases but when he did attack it seemed as if he was reluctant to fully commit, wary of counters and perhaps rightly so. The match went into golden score with 3 penalties between them but no lack of action. Almost straight away, the Turkish judoka put in his best attack of the contests and scored ippon.

Grand prix final block debutants Yam Wolczak and Theo Hebrard fought a close battle for the second bronze medal but as the end of time approached the Israeli looked set to win, always ahead, first to the attack, more active, more positive and he had been rewarded with a lead on penalties. However, with only 30 seconds to go the Frenchman dropped under with a seoi-otoshi for waza-ari and then attempted to play on the ground to perhaps keep his lead and prevent any kind of comeback from the Israeli. This proved to be even more fruitful than expected as he freed his trapped leg and held for the second score and his first ever medal on the World Judo Tour.

In most cases the cream eventually rises to the top but not always and it is the anomaly that often grabs our attention. In the second round of the -60kg category we saw the number one seed, Verstraeten (BEL), an Olympian and medallist at many World Judo Tour events, beaten by 21 year old Shulman (ISR) who has no medal on the Tour and very little experience, in comparison.

Profile Dilshot Khalmatov

Ukraine judoka Dilshot Khalmatov won the gold medal at the Grand Prix in Zagreb in 2023 took an unfortunate silver medal at the Grand Prix in Linz in 2023 as he had to give up in his final due to a broken finger. He took a silver medal at the Grand Slam in Baku in 2022 and silver at the Grand Slam in Antalya in 2023. As Junior Khalmatov won the European Cup U21 in Paks and Cluj in 2018. He claimed a bronze medal at the European Cup for seniors in Bratislava in 2019 and a bronze medal at the Euro Open in Riccione in 2022.