Ishihara Holds Firm as Tension Defines Qingdao’s -73 kg Final

Ishihara Tatsuki stood tallest in the men’s -73 kg division in Qingdao, coming through one of the most volatile draws of the day to take gold in IJF World Judo Tour action. In a category known for sudden turns, the Japanese judoka stayed composed while big names and rising challengers collided around him.

The day opened with early surprises. Several experienced athletes did not make it to the final block, and that created space for new momentum across the bracket. From the top half, Shakhram Ahadov of Uzbekistan built a strong run, navigating past Bakhitzhan Abdurakhmanov and Bilal Ciloglu before defeating top seed Makhmadbek Makhmadbekov in the semi-final.

Makhmadbekov had looked sharper as the morning went on, especially after ending the impressive run of Bulgaria’s Victor Skerlev. But Ahadov found a way through and secured his place in the final, setting up a matchup few would have called at the start of the day.

In the other half, Ishihara moved forward with quiet control. He defeated Guilherme de Oliveira, Buian-Kherel Sanaa and Rashid Mammadaliyev before facing Narek Vardanian of Sweden in the semi-final. Vardanian had already produced one of the standout stories of the category by knocking out Jack Yonezuka, the American silver medallist from Ulaanbaatar a week earlier.

That run ended against Ishihara. The Japanese judoka proved too solid in the last four and advanced to the gold medal contest after a steady, disciplined day.

The final brought together two former Paris Grand Slam winners, and it quickly turned into a gripping tactical contest. Neither athlete wanted to give away control in the battle for grips, and the tension built from exchange to exchange. By the midpoint, both men had already collected two Shido.

The decisive moment came when Ahadov was penalised for a false attack, receiving his third penalty. It was a sudden ending to such a tight match, but it confirmed Ishihara’s patience and precision across the day. Another gold medal went back to Japan, earned not through a dramatic throw in the final, but through composure under pressure.

Afterwards, Ishihara said he had expected a hard final and was pleased that his game plan held up throughout the competition. He also spoke about the legacy of the -73 kg category and how that pushes him to stay disciplined and keep improving.

Ishihara’s final was decided by nerve, timing and discipline.

For European fans, the bronze medal contest between Victor Skerlev and Narek Vardanian delivered one of the most dramatic moments of the day. Their match stretched deep into golden score, with both athletes exhausted and neither able to create a clear opening for a long time.

Then Skerlev attacked with O-soto-gari in what looked like one last gamble. As Vardanian tried to respond, the Bulgarian recovered, stayed on the front foot and drove through for Ippon. It was a spectacular finish and a memorable bronze for Bulgaria after one of the longest fights of the session.

The second bronze match was over much faster. Makhmadbekov needed only seconds to beat Yonezuka with a powerful O-soto-gari, securing a place on the podium after falling short of the final.

In the end, the Qingdao -73 kg result belonged to Ishihara, but the category also delivered a strong European note through Skerlev’s dramatic bronze and Vardanian’s fearless run to fifth place.

Source: IJF.org

Image source: IJF / International Judo Federation