-90kg Gold: Varapayeu (BLR)
Guilherme Schimidt (BRA) is the more famous of the two finalists but it was Yahor Varapayeu (BLR), a relative unknown, who scored first. An Uchimata in the final minute of the match gave him a yuko lead. About 20 seconds before time was up, Schimidt knocked Varapayeu down with a kouchi-gari for yuko. Now, they were tied and when the buzzer rang, it meant that the contest would go into Golden Score. However, video analysis showed that Schimidt had grabbed Varapayeu's leg during the kouchi-gari attack and thus the yuko was cancelled and he was given a shido. This meant Varapayeu was the winner.
Varapayeu said: "I feel great! After a long break and a tough opening loss to a South Korean athlete in Ulaanbaatar, I was really upset. However, I pulled myself together during a short training camp in Mongolia and managed to win this grand prix. This victory was crucial to beginning my Olympic qualification campaign on the right foot and I hope it secures my path to the Olympic Games. Now, I'm looking forward to going home to celebrate and share a big, delicious meal with my family."
-100kg Gold: Sangariev (RUS)
The final was between two unseeded players, Adam Sangariev (RUS) and Giovani Ferreira (BRA). Theirs was a scoreless match for much of the time. Just as it looked like it was going to go into Golden Score, Sangariev managed to take Ferreira down with a Tewaza which was given ippon.
Sangariev said: "I didn't feel perfectly well before the final but I kept my faith in my judo and this paid off. I am very glad that with Bifov we can stand on the podium together. My focus is on the Olympics, I want to qualify my first Games."
+100kg: Bashaev (RUS)
The final was the kind of match the crowd loved. Tamerlan Bashaev (RUS) and Hyoga Ota (JPN), two heavyweights who are relatively smaller and more nimble, which meant lots of dynamic judo. Midway through the match, Bashaev attacked with a drop sode-tsurikomi-goshi that landed Ota on his back.
Said Bashaev: "It feels amazing, especially since I lost my last two finals to Ota. Today was a good day; I honestly can't believe it. As for what changed? It might sound strange but for the first time ever, I didn't drink coffee before my contests. Aside from that, I’ve absolutely loved it here. The people in Qingdao are incredibly hospitable, the city is beautiful and I definitely want to come back next year."
