One early break changed everything: Arbuzov keeps his -81kg European crown

Timur Arbuzov defended his European title at -81kg with the kind of final that grabs you from the first exchange. Facing Georgia’s Tato Grigalashvili in front of a roaring Georgian crowd, the 22-year-old Russian didn’t wait to settle in. He attacked immediately, scored early, and then flowed straight into ne-waza to lock the match down.

The final turned on a fast opening and ruthless control.

Arbuzov’s grip on the contest tightened in kami-shiho-gatame, and that first breakthrough ended up shaping everything that followed. Grigalashvili, usually calm and methodical, was pushed out of his comfort zone. Instead of building his rhythm, he had to chase the fight and respond to Arbuzov’s pace.

What made Arbuzov’s performance feel so decisive was that he didn’t simply protect the lead. He stayed sharp with ashi-waza and smart tactical choices, repeatedly taking advantage of Grigalashvili’s forward posture. A second convincing score confirmed the direction of the final, and even the home crowd’s energy couldn’t pull the Georgian back into it. Grigalashvili took silver after a strong day that included a semi-final win over Zelim Tckaev.

The bronze medals underlined Europe’s depth in the division. Azerbaijan’s Zelim Tckaev secured a podium spot after turning heads with inventive, attacking judo that gave opponents little room to breathe. Serbia’s Mihajlo Simin also stood out, backing up his growing reputation by beating former world champion Matthias Casse in the quarter-finals on his way to bronze.

For Casse, a pre-event favourite, the day slipped away completely when Ukraine’s Mykhailo Svidrak beat him in the repechage, leaving him without a medal. With emerging talents like Arbuzov and Tckaev pushing hard and big names being tested, -81kg delivered one of the championship’s most volatile storylines.

Source: JudoInside