J1 -48 kg: Nataliya Nikolaychyk Wins the First Gold Medal in Style

Seeded number 1, Ecem Tasin Cavdar carried all of Türkiye’s hopes on her shoulders and everything started off rather well, as she eliminated Tabea Mueller (GER) in the first round. In the semi-final, it was finally Shizuka Hangai (JPN) who won to offer Japan a first chance at a gold medal.

In the second part of the draw, the hierarchy was better respected, as it was the seeded Ukrainian, number 2 in the rankings Nataliya Nikolaychyk, who made it to the final, despite the resistance of Emmanouela Massourou (GRE) and then Rosicleide Silva de Andrade (BRA).

Nataliya Nikolaychyk took the lead with a strong shoulder movement for a first waza-ari. The two judoka then demonstrated all their groundwork skills in a sequence that was more than a minute long, where each took the lead, one after another, but with no score. Nikolaychyk looked stronger though and she concluded with a superb o-soto-gari to win the first gold medal of the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris.

For her first participation in the Paralympic Games, Emmanouela Massourou put in a great performance by qualifying for a bronze medal contest, against Ecem Tasin Cavdar (TUR), a fight that promised to be tough. It was a one-way contest though, Ecem Tasin Cavdar (TUR) dominating with two waza-ari scores and a medal that had the taste of potential gold but was eventually a bronze.

Several years ago, Rocio Ledesma Dure (ARG) confided in the IJF team that came to film her in the extreme south of the Pan-American continent, her dream of reaching the Paralympic Games. Then everything still seemed very far away and yet today, she is present in Paris and qualified for a bronze medal contest against Rosicleide Silva de Andrade (BRA). Unfortunately for her, the Brazilian judoka was a mountain too high to climb today and Rocio Ledesma Dure had to bow out after she was countered for ippon. The bronze medal goes to Rosicleide Silva de Andrade, who could let her communicative joy explode at the end of the contest.

Final Results 1. Nataliya Nikolaychyk (UKR) 2. Shizuka Hangai (JPN) 3. Rosicleide Silva De Andrade (BRA) 3. Ecem Tasin Cavdar (TUR) 5. Rocio Ledesma Dure (ARG) 5. Emmanouela Masourou (GRE) 7. Tabea Mueller (GER) 7. Suvd-Erdene Togtokhbayar (MGL)

J1 -60 kg: Algeria Wins Gold with Abdelkader Bouamer

In the J1 lightweight category, Seyed Meysam Banitava Khoram Arabi (IRI) and Abdelkader Bouamer (ALG) made the biggest impression by qualifying for the final with the hope of winning the gold medal.

An historic winner of the IBSA Judo Grand Prix Antalya 2024 and the number one seed, Kamil Parmar (IND) hoped to pull out all the stops to reach the final but Seyed Meysam Banitava Khoram Arabi blocked his path in the semi-final. At the bottom of the draw, Elielton de Oliveira (BRA) was the favourite but he too had to bow out.

The final between Seyed Meysam Banitava Khoram Arabi (IRI), the world champion, and Abdelkader Bouamer (ALG) was undecided for more than three minutes, until Bouamer scored a first waza-ari to take the lead. As the initial kumi-kata was crucial, Banitava Khoram Arabi put a lot of pressure on his opponent but Abdelkader Bouamer kept his advantage and won the gold medal, showing his happiness that was shared by his coach Mounia Kerkar.

We found the two judoka, Parmar and de Oliveira, ready for a bronze medal contest. Parmar produced a big effort after thirty seconds. While the two judoka had just taken their respective kumi-kata, he executed a perfect o-soto turned into a makikomi throw for a clear ippon. The bronze medal was therefore for Kamil Parmar (IND).

The other bronze medal contest would be disputed between Marcos Dennis Blanco (VEN) and Junaedi (INA). With two waza-ari scores and perfect control of the contest, Marcos Dennis Blanco (VEN) won the bronze medal.

Final Results 1. Abdelkader Bouamer (ALG) 2. Seyed Meysam Banitava Khoram Arabi (IRI) 3. Marcos Dennis Blanco (VEN) 3. Kamil Parmar (IND) 5. Junaedi (INA) 5. Elielton de Oliveira (BRA) 7. Shiwen Zhu (CHN) 7. Miguel Vieira (POR)

J1 -57 kg: Yijie Shi Is the Best

In the -57 kg J1 category, the hierarchy was perfectly respected with the four seeded women, Yijie Shi (CHN), Priscilla Gagne (CAN), Liana Mutia (USA) and Anzhela Havrysiuk (UKR), making up the last four. Here again, it was the two top seeded women who qualified for the final, pitting Yijie Shi (CHN) against Liana Mutia (USA) for the gold medal.

It took only 5 seconds for Yijie Shi to take a strong lead after she scored with a left-handed shoulder movement, showing the importance of the kumi-kata in para-judo. This was a warning, or it should have been, as the Chinese judoka scored a second time with the same movement, to conclude a perfect final. The gold medal was for Yijie Shi.

The first bronze medal saw Uljon Amrieva (UZB) and Anzhela Havrysiuk (UKR) competing to step on the podium. We could hear some of the public chanting ‘Uzbekistan – Uzbekistan,’ ready to support their athlete, while Havrysiuk wanted to step on the podium like her teammate Nataliya Nikolaychyk (UKR), gold medallist in the lower category. This was exactly what she did with an ippon halfway through the contest. The bronze medal was assigned to Anzhela Havrysiuk.

Paula Karina Gomez (ARG) and Priscilla Gagne (CAN) had the chance to complete the podium. This second bronze medal contest was well balanced with one waza-ari apiece at the end of normal time. It was then time for golden score and it was a long period of extra time as neither of the judoka could decide the winner. It was eventually a shido that gave the victory to Paula Karina Gomez, after Gagne was penalised a third time.

Final Results 1. Yijie Shi (CHN) 2. Liana Mutia (USA) 3. Anzhela Havrysiuk (UKR) 3. Paula Karina Gomez (ARG) 5. Uljon Amrieva (UZB) 5. Priscilla Gagne (CAN) 7. Larissa Oliveira Da Silva (BRA) 7. Alfiya Tlekkabyl (KAZ)

J2 -48 kg: Nauatbek Dominates Martinet (FRA) for Kazakhstan

It is an understatement to say that the most anticipated category of the day, at least for the French public, was that of Sandrine Martinet. It must be said that the record of the Frenchwoman who made the headlines of all the media recently is impressive. At 41, she always wants more, even more than her previous four Paralympic medals (1 gold, 3 silver).

We cannot say that things were easy for Sandrine Martinet but what we can affirm is that she benefited from incredible support from the public. Opposed in the semi-final by her nemesis Liqing Li (CHN) and quickly led by a waza-ari, she managed to get out of this trap to win and capsize with happiness at the Arena Champ-de-Mars.

The final was also expected to be tight, as Martinet was pitted against the number 1 seed Akmaral Nauatbek (KAZ) who was determined to emulate the great results of the Kazakh team present during the Olympic Games.

The first waza-ari was scored by Akmaral Nauatbek, puting Sandrine Martinet under pressure but she showed earlier in the day, that she was not afraid of being one waza-ari down. Nauatbek was definitely the strongeesr today though as she executed some really nice groundwork to pin down the French judoka after a triangle turnover. It was ippon and a gold medal for Akmaral Nauatbek.

Yuliia Ivanytska (UKR), three times Paralympic medallist, and Liqing Li (CHN), the 2016 Paralympic champion, faced each other for the first bronze medal. It didn’t take long for Liqing Li to apply a submission and win by ippon. The bronze medal goes to China.

Isabell Thal (GER) and Cahide Eke (TUR) still had the chance to climb on the podium. It took just a bit longer than Li, for Cahide Eke to score ippon with a combination of ippon-ko-uchi-gari. The second bronze medal was for Türkiye.

Final Results 1. Akmaral Nauatbek (KAZ) 2. Sandrine Martinet (FRA) 3. Liqing Li (CHN) 3. Cahide Eke (TUR) 5. Yuliia Ivanytska (UKR) 5. Isabell Thal (GER) 7. Kokila (IND) 7. Carmen Brussig (SUI)

J2 -60 kg: Namozov Wins in Front of Diyora Keldiyorova

Uzbekistan is known to be a strong performer in para-judo. It is therefore not surprising that the number one seed, Sherzod Namozov (UZB), qualified for the last fight of the category, after eliminating Luis Daniel Gavilan Lorenzo (ESP) and Minjae Lee (KOR). To face him in the final was Zurab Zurabiani (GEO), who arrived after victories against Johann Herrera (CHI) and Ishak Ouldkouider (ALG).

After thirty seconds, Sherzod Namozov (UZB) took the lead with a first waza-ari. Pushing his luck, Zurab Zurabiani (GEO) was putting pressure on his opponent and was able to apply an armlock eventually, but while doing it he grabbed inside the judogi, which is forbidden. The ippon became a shido and Namozov could control the last seconds to win the gold medal.

Ishak Ouldkouider still had a chance to climb on the podium by facing Thiego Marques Da Silva (BRA) for the bronze medal to join the celebration of the Algerian team and he did not miss the opportunity, forcing his opponent to submit for ippon. The bronze medal was for Ishak Ouldkouider, the second for Algeria.

In the second match for a bronze medal, Davyd Khorava (UKR) would face Minjae Lee (KOR) and the Ukrainian judoka dominated his opponent to step on the podium.

Final Results 1. Sherzod Namozov (UZB) 2. Zurab Zurabiani (GEO) 3. Ishak Ouldkouider (ALG) 3. Davyd Khorava (UKR) 5. Thiego Marques Da Silva (BRA) 5. Minjae Lee (KOR) 7. Luis Daniel Gavilan Lorenzo (ESP) 7. Johann Herrera (CHI)