On October 31, the final day of the 2026 Abu Dhabi Grand Slam at the Mubadala Arena showcased impressive performances from European judoka, who claimed all four gold medals in three of the five weight categories.
Ivaylo Ivanov’s Comeback Leads Bulgaria to Gold
The day’s highlight came from Bulgaria’s Ivaylo Ivanov, who staged a remarkable comeback to win gold in the men’s -90kg category. Facing Moldova’s Mihail Latisev, the third seed, Ivanov trailed late in the match. However, with two minutes remaining, he executed a swift ko-uchi-gake followed by a seoi-otoshi to clinch the win, marking his second championship title, eleven years after his first.
“After many injuries last year, I’m still competing, and I hope to see you in Los Angeles,” Ivanov remarked to the International Judo Federation (IJF), crediting his coach for their support during the tough match.
Russia’s Mansur Lorsanov secured a bronze after a long golden score battle against Czechia’s Adam Kopecky, while Italian judoka Kenny Komi Bedel triumphed over teammate Christian Parlati for the other bronze.
Host Nation’s Lytvynenko Shines in Women’s -78kg
In another thrilling contest, Yelyzaveta Lytvynenko of the United Arab Emirates earned gold in the women’s -78kg category by defeating Portugal’s Patricia Sampaio. The match extended into golden score, where Lytvynenko capitalized on an attack from Sampaio to score a waza-ari, securing a victory for the home crowd.
The Netherlands’ Yael Van Heemst won bronze against Brazil’s Karol Gimenes, while Great Britain’s Emma Reid took the other bronze by defeating Slovenia’s Metka Lobnik in a golden score bout.
Vukovic Grabs First Grand Slam Title
Croatia’s Helena Vukovic earned her first Grand Slam gold in the women’s +78kg category by overcoming Israeli competitor Raz Hershko. Despite Hershko being favored, Vukovic’s tactical execution and control led to the match concluding on shidos.
“I’m feeling really happy with my first Grand Slam gold medal, especially after getting my first win over an amazing opponent,” Vukovic said, looking forward to competing in the upcoming Zagreb Grand Prix.
Italy celebrated success in the bronze matches, with Asya Tavano pinning Brazil’s Giovanna Santos for ippon and Erica Simonetti defeating Azerbaijan’s Madina Kaisinova.
Bifov and Demetrashvili Complete European Sweep
In the men’s -100kg final, Russia’s Idar Bifov avenged an early setback against France’s Aurelien Diesse by countering an arm-lock to claim ippon, marking his second consecutive Abu Dhabi championship.
In the men’s +100kg category, Georgia’s Irakli Demetrashvili defeated Azerbaijan’s Ushangi Kokauri to secure his second Grand Slam title of the season. Demetrashvili executed a successful throw followed by groundwork to solidify his win.
Bronze medals in this category went to Georgia’s Saba Inaneishvili and Russia’s Denis Batchaev, who submitted Cyprus’ Giannis Antoniou. Judo legend Teddy Riner was present to award the medals throughout the event.
