Israeli Judoka Yizhak Azaniashvili Wins Gold at Budapest Grand Slam

Israeli judoka Yizhak Azaniashvili secured a gold medal at the Budapest Grand Slam on Friday, competing in the under-60 kg weight category. Azaniashvili began his campaign in the second round, defeating Duston Rozayev of Uzbekistan by ippon. He continued his impressive performance in the round of 16 with another ippon victory against Emil Gering of the Netherlands.

In the quarterfinals, Azaniashvili faced Brazil's Bianca Tirloni Fernandes, winning by two yuko points. He advanced to the semifinals, where he defeated Artem Leshuk of Ukraine with two yuko points to his opponent's one, earning a spot in the final.

The gold medal match saw Azaniashvili compete against Enzo Jean of France. Azaniashvili capitalized on a mistake by Jean during a move, executing a swift counter-takedown for an ippon, clinching the championship title.

This victory comes just two weeks after Gefen Primo won a gold medal at the Lausanne Grand Slam. Primo, who also competed in Budapest, finished in seventh place this time. Israel's national coach, Shani Hershko, praised Azaniashvili's achievement, highlighting his resilience after an injury. "This is a very significant achievement for Yizhak. Returning from injury and winning gold at a Grand Slam says a lot about his character, resilience, discipline, and commitment," Hershko stated, noting Azaniashvili's hard work.

Azaniashvili expressed his joy, calling the win a great gift for himself and the country on the eve of Rosh Hashanah. "I went through a difficult period, so to return to competition like this and finish with a gold medal is a very special feeling," he said.