Tbilisi Grand Slam 2026: Thrilling Day 2 Sees Latest Champions Crowned

Tbilisi, Georgia – The second day of the Judo Grand Slam Tbilisi tournament delivered another wave of exciting competition at the Tbilisi Arena, showcasing the skills of judo athletes from around the world. Athletes competed in the women’s -63 kg and -70 kg classes.

Dominant Performances in Women’s Categories

In the women’s -63 kg category, Haruka Kashige secured a gold medal, defeating Van Rissout of the Netherlands in the final. Kashige, already selected to represent her country at the upcoming World Championships, demonstrated both ground waza and standing techniques throughout the day.

Kashige’s path to gold included victories over American, Spanish, and Mongolian opponents. She won her quarterfinal match by ippon with a long shot from the left against a Spanish player. In the semi-finals, she secured a dominant victory with an Ouchi-gari attack from the left.

“I’ve been strengthening my standing techniques, so I want to see how far I can go. If I can improve my standing techniques, my strong ground techniques will be even more useful than before.”

Haruka Kashige

Kashige has now won seven consecutive international tournaments, dating back to December 2024.

New Champions Emerge

Day 2 also saw the emergence of new champions. In the -73kg final, Italy’s Leonardo VALERIANI defeated Finland’s Valtteri OLIN. VALERIANI secured his first-ever Grand Slam gold medal with a ground game strategy, forcing a submission from OLIN.

Olympic bronze medalist Madina TAIMAZOVA won her fourth Grand Slam gold in the -70kg category, reclaiming her position atop the podium. Vedat ALBAYRAK from Turkiye also secured a gold medal in the -81kg category, extending his winning streak in Tbilisi.

Key Results from Day 2

• -63kg: Haruka Kashige (Japan) defeats Van Rissout (Netherlands)
• -73kg: Leonardo VALERIANI (Italy) defeats Valtteri OLIN (Finland)
• -70kg: Madina TAIMAZOVA wins gold
• -81kg: Vedat ALBAYRAK (Türkiye) wins gold

The Tbilisi Grand Slam 2026 continues to showcase high-level judo competition, with athletes from 51 countries and a total of 386 judoka participating.

Looking Ahead

The tournament concludes on March 22nd with the remaining preliminary and final block competitions. Fans can follow the action and results on the International Judo Federation website.

Stay tuned to 247sports.news for continued coverage of the Tbilisi Grand Slam 2026 and other major judo events.