Five Nations Share Gold as Kazakhstan Tops Opening Day at Zagreb Judo Grand Prix

The opening day of the Zagreb Grand Prix delivered exactly what the World Judo Tour promises: five gold medals, five different nations, and three continents represented at the top of the podium. Kazakhstan finished the day on top of the medal table in the Croatian capital on Friday, 13 November, but the stories that will be remembered from the Zagreb Arena went far beyond the standings — a first career tour gold, a champion's return to form, and an Olympic champion's emotional comeback as a new mother.

Kazakhstan leads the way

Kazakhstan's Nurkanat Serikbayev provided the headline result of the day, winning the men's -66kg title by defeating Brazil's Ronald Lima in the final. The gold was the centrepiece of a three-medal day for the Kazakh team, which also collected two silvers: Aman Bakytzhan reached the men's -60kg final before falling to Yang Yung-wei of Chinese Taipei, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medallist, while Galiya Tynbayeva took silver in the women's -48kg after a run of four consecutive victories.

Tynbayeva's path to the final was one of the most demanding of the day. She beat Asia Avanzato of Italy, Eva Perez Soler of Spain, Natasha Ferreira of Brazil and Jacqueline Springer of Austria before meeting Italy's Assunta Scutto for gold. Scutto, the silver medallist at the 2026 World Championships in Baku, proved too strong, but Tynbayeva's silver — like Bakytzhan's — underlined Kazakhstan's depth across the light weights.

Brazil's breakthrough

Brazil finished the day second in the standings, and its gold carried a personal milestone. Shirlen Nascimento won the women's -57kg title by beating Israel's Inbal Shemesh in the fastest final of the day, transitioning from a high seoi attempt into a stranglehold that gave Shemesh no escape. It was Nascimento's first gold medal on the World Judo Tour, and she made no secret of what it meant.

"I am very happy! It's an achievement that is very important to me, my first gold medal on the World Judo Tour," Nascimento said before the medal ceremony. "I went through a difficult moment but that's how judo is. The final was very tough but I can't wait to repeat my success again; I want to reach many more finals."

Gyertyas turns groundwork into gold

Hungary's Roza Gyertyas dominated the women's -52kg category from her first contest, mixing sharp gripping with confident groundwork. In the final against Naomi Van Krevel of the Netherlands, she needed less than two minutes: a well-drilled turnover secured the hold-down, and Van Krevel submitted before the full twenty seconds had elapsed.

Gyertyas said she had struggled to focus through her difficult opening contests and treated the final like any other match to stay relaxed. With her family and coaches in the arena, she added that she planned to celebrate the gold — and a postponed birthday — with them.

Scutto continues her resurgence

Scutto's -48kg gold confirmed one of the most encouraging comebacks in women's judo. A gold in Lima in the summer, a silver at the World Championships in Baku and now a win in Zagreb mark a genuine return to form for the Italian, who beat Tynbayeva in the final. The IJF's report called it a resurgence that judo fans everywhere could applaud, and on this evidence the praise is deserved.

Keldiyorova's emotional return

The most moving story of the day, however, belonged to Paris Olympic champion Diyora Keldiyorova of Uzbekistan. Competing in the -52kg bronze-medal contest against France's Blandine Pont, the Olympic champion attacked with a fast seoi-otoshi and spun straight into an inescapable juji-gatame armlock for an ippon victory.

It was Keldiyorova's first return to a World Judo Tour podium since the birth of her daughter after the Paris Games — she has fought three times in recent weeks, but Zagreb was where the medal finally came. Visibly moved, she accepted a long hug from coach Marko Spittka as she left the tatami. A bronze, the IJF noted, but a very important bronze.

Two more bronzes and what comes next

Azerbaijan's Gultaj Mammadaliyeva took the other -52kg bronze, beating Italy's Ilaria Finestrone with a late ashi-waza score, while Spain celebrated two bronzes in the -57kg division: Marta Garcia Martin edged Britain's Acelya Toprak in golden score, and Adriana Rodriguez Salvador beat Mariana Esteves of Guinea with a lightning uchi-mata followed by a hold-down.

The tournament continues in the Zagreb Arena through Sunday, 15 November, with two more days of competition to come. If day one is any guide — five nations sharing the gold, an Olympic champion back on the podium, and a first-time winner announcing herself — the rest of the weekend should be worth watching.