Around two and a half months before the Olympic Games in Paris, Austria’s judoka gained a good dose of self-confidence at the Grand Slam in Dushanbe. Lubyana Piovesana and Michaela Polleres won in their categories, while Wachid Borchashvili only had to admit defeat in the final in the capital of Tajikistan.
04.05.2024 16.47
Online since today, 4:47 p.m
In the up to 63 kg class, Piovesana won her second Grand Slam title, while Polleres took the crown for the third time in the up to 70 kg category. Borchashvili narrowly missed his second Grand Slam title in the up to 81 kg class. A total of 395 athletes from 65 nations took part.
Piovesana beat Eter Askilashvili (GEO), the Russian Kamila Badurova and the European Championship third place Savita Russo (ITA). In the final she also won the third duel with the Russian Dali Liluaschwili.
Polleres, like her compatriot, top seed in her category, kept the upper hand against Gabriella Willems (BEL), Szabina Gercsak (HUN) and Anka Pogacnik; the 2021 Olympic silver medalist had recently lost six times in a row against the Slovenian. Polleres secured 1,000 points for the world rankings with a win against Lara Cvetko, second in the 2022 World Cup and third in the European Championship in 2024.
“A historic day”
A success for Borchashvili would have completed the perfect ÖJV day, as there were no other active players from the Austrian camp on Saturday. The student world champion Yoshito Hojo (JPN), who has not appeared so often internationally, won the duel with Ippon. Borchashvili had previously triumphed against Mohamed Rebahi (QAT), Tomas Morales (ARG), Zaur Dvalashvili (GEO) and Timo Cavelius (GER).
“A historic day,” said ÖJV sports director Markus Moser about the ÖJV march through before the final battles in Tajikistan. “This has never happened before on the World Tour.” For head coach Yvonne Snir-Bönisch, the performance of her protégés was “unbelievable, simply crazy.”
