-48kg: Giliazova (RUS)
The -48kg final was an all-Russian affair. Sabina Giliazova, the more senior of the two, won through penalty against her teammate, Kristina Dudina.
Giliazova said: "The last time I won gold was in 2024 at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam and now, two years later, I'm a gold medallist again, which I'm really happy about! I'm trying not to let my emotions loose just yet, as I'm focused on preparing for the upcoming world championship, where I want to give it my all."
-52kg: Leiva Sanchez (ESP)
Ayumi Leiva Sanchez (ESP) won with a yuko from ouchi-gari against Barbara Twarowska (POL). This was her first ever IJF World Tour gold medal.
Leiva Sanchez said: "After a tough loss in Switzerland, coming to Budapest was definitely the right choice. My coach always reminds me that I need a real hunger to win and bringing that aggressiveness today made all the difference. I'm super proud to earn my first Grand Slam gold medal and am deeply grateful to my coaches in Valencia for sticking by me. Signing autographs for the children afterwards was really emotional, reminding me of when I was a child looking up to big judoka, so I always want to give my time back to them."
-57kg: Funakubo (JPN)
Olga Mukhina (RUS) scored first with a yuko from sumi-gaeshi. But Haruka Funakubo (JPN) struck back with a sticky foot kosoto-gari, also for yuko. This evened up the scores. But Funakubo proceeded to pin Mukhina for the win.
Funakubo said: "I'm happy to be back competing in an international tournament. I’ve gained a lot of experience over the years and I think that's what paid off today. My goal is the Los Angeles Olympics but making the Japanese national team is extremely tough. So first, I want to do my best to win in Japan so I can qualify to compete internationally again."
-63kg: Danno (JPN)
Megu Danno defeated Kaja Kajzer Zabkar (SLO) with kouchi-gake for yuko in Golden Score.
Danno said: "I knew that winning this Grand Slam was critical for me to remain competitive in the domestic selections, so I went into it with absolute determination to take the title. My final opponent, from Slovenia, was extremely powerful early on, so my plan was to weather that initial strength. Once the match progressed into the later stages, I was able to find my rhythm and knew it was my time to attack. The venue here in Budapest is massive and with so many supportive fans cheering me on, it didn't feel like competing away from home at all."
-70kg: Teltsidou (GRE)
Elisavet Tetlsidou threw Kaillany Cardoso (BRA) with a massive kosoto-gake for waza-ari, and then pinned for waza-ari-awasate-ippon. This was Teltsidou’s fifth Grand Slam gold.
Teltsidou said: “It feels great to win another Grand Slam gold before the World Championships. I felt good right from my first fight, sticking to my style with big throws. My advice to young athletes wanting to throw like me is simple: practise, listen to your instincts and find your own style. The children here were super cute. I have nephews their age, so making them happy with autographs means a lot. The Budapest atmosphere is always great!”
-78kg: Pavic (CRO)
Mao Izumi (JPN) seemed to be cruising towards a victory, having scored a waza-ari from kosoto-gari and yuko from a hold-down, when Petrunjela Pavic turned the tables on her and scored ippon with a form of the Khabarelli technique. The referee initially scored waza-ari for it but it was later changed to ippon.
Pavic said: "This victory proves I’m physically and mentally ready for World Championships. My goal was always a medal at this coming Worlds but now that objective feels much more realistic. With no time to celebrate, we're heading straight to training camps in Bratislava and Germany to refine our technique before the Worlds!"
+78kg: Hershko (ISR)
Raz Hershko asserted her dominance by slamming her opponent, Celia Cancan (FRA) to the ground using a powerful osoto-gari done from a sode grip. This was Hershko’s seventh Grand Slam gold medal but it still meant a lot to her.
Hershko said: "Winning another Grand Slam means a lot, especially mentally. After the Paris Olympics, I told myself that to continue I had to achieve things I’ve never done before. It took over 10 years of daily hard work to build this mindset and tune out the noise but I learned that if you surround yourself with the right people and truly believe in yourself, you can achieve any dream. Heading into Baku, the expectation is always gold. That pressure is a good thing; I love the adrenaline, raising the flag, and hearing the anthem."
