The Hungary Grand Slam 2026, held from September 11th to 13th, saw a series of compelling contests across all weight categories. Izhak Ashpiz of Israel secured the men's -60 kg gold, while Raz Hershko of Israel dominated the women's +78 kg division. The event also featured dramatic finishes, including multiple golden score deciders and decisive ippons.
Men -60 kg
Izhak Ashpiz (ISR) claimed the gold medal in the men's -60 kg category, defeating Enzo Jean (FRA) in the final. The match was decided by an ippon from Ashpiz via Ura-nage at 00:03:51. The score sequence showed two shidos against Jean for Avoid-Grip at 0:29 and False-Attack at 2:47, before Ashpiz secured the win with his technique at 3:48. Bronze medals went to Artem Lesiuk (UKR) and David Starkel (SLO).
Men -66 kg
Boyan Yotov (BUL) earned the gold medal in the men's -66 kg division. He defeated Byambasuren Ulziibayar (MGL) in the final, which concluded with an ippon from Yotov via Ura-nage at 00:03:22. Yotov had already registered a waza-ari with Yoko-guruma at 1:57 before sealing the victory. Denis Vieru (MDA) and Ryusei Seki (JPN) took bronze.
Men -73 kg
Rashid Mammadaliyev (AZE) won the men's -73 kg title, overcoming Narek Vardanian (SWE) in the final. Mammadaliyev secured the ippon with Seoi-nage at 00:03:26. Vardanian received two shidos for Non-Combativity at 1:01 and 2:32, leading to Mammadaliyev's decisive technique at 3:24. Ibrahim Demirel (TUR) and Shusuke Uchimura (JPN) were the bronze medalists.
Men -81 kg
The men's -81 kg final saw Yoshito Hojo (JPN) take gold against Mihajlo Simin (SRB). The match went into golden score and was decided by hansoku-make due to a third shido against Simin at golden score +3:30 for Outside-Contest-Area. The fight time was 00:07:31. Simin had received shidos at 2:05 (Non-Combativity) and golden score +1:47 (False-Attack), while Hojo received a shido at golden score +3:30 (Outside-Contest-Area). Murodjon Yuldoshev (UZB) and Vusal Galandarzade (AZE) won bronze.
Men -90 kg
Guilherme Schimidt (BRA) is the men's -90 kg champion. He faced Boris Rutovic (SRB) in the final. Mihail Latisev (MDA) and Lachlan Moorhead (GBR) secured bronze medals.
Men -100 kg
Gennaro Pirelli (ITA) won the men's -100 kg gold medal. Jorge Fonseca (POR) took silver, with Niiaz Bilalov (RUS) and Daniel Eich (SUI) earning bronze.
Men +100 kg
In the men's +100 kg category, Valerii Endovitskii (RUS) was crowned champion. Marek-Adrian Masak (EST) finished with silver. Losseni Kone (GER) and Dzhamal Gamzatkhanov (AZE) took bronze medals.
Women -48 kg
Sabina Giliazova (RUS) secured the women's -48 kg gold medal, defeating her compatriot Kristina Dudina (RUS) in a golden score final that ended at 00:04:55 with a hansoku-make against Dudina for her third shido (Non-Combativity) at golden score +0:54. Earlier shidos were given to both athletes at 1:09 (Non-Combativity) and to Dudina at 3:20 (Non-Combativity). Baasankhuu Bavuudorj (MGL) and Tomoka Arakawa (JPN) won bronze.
Women -52 kg
Ayumi Leiva Sanchez (ESP) won the women's -52 kg title. She defeated Barbara Twarowska (POL) in the final by yuko with O-uchi-gari at 00:04:00. Twarowska received shidos at 0:40 (False-Attack) and 2:24 (Non-Combativity), while Leiva Sanchez scored her yuko at 0:53. Odette Giuffrida (ITA) and Tereza Bodnarova (CZE) took bronze.
Women -57 kg
Haruka Funakubo (JPN) is the women's -57 kg champion. She defeated Olga Mukhina (RUS) in the final by waza-ari-awasete-ippon with Yoko-shiho-gatame (hold-down) at 00:02:30. Mukhina had scored a yuko with Yoko-otoshi at 1:03, but Funakubo responded with a yuko from Ko-soto-gari at 1:30 and then secured the decisive waza-ari with Yoko-shiho-gatame at 2:14. Seija Ballhaus (GER) and Sarah Souza (BRA) won bronze.
Women -63 kg
Megu Danno (JPN) claimed the women's -63 kg gold medal in a golden score final against Kaja Kajzer (SLO), which ended at 00:05:04. Danno secured the winning yuko with Ko-uchi-gari at golden score +1:02. Kajzer had received a shido at golden score +0:47 (Non-Combativity) after both athletes were cautioned for Non-Combativity at 1:20. Danno also received a shido at 0:35 for False-Attack. Ariela Sanchez Benitez (ESP) and Kerem Primo (ISR) took bronze.
Women -70 kg
Elisavet Teltsidou (GRE) won the women's -70 kg title. She defeated Kaillany Cardoso (BRA) in the final by waza-ari-awasete-ippon with Yoko-shiho-gatame (hold-down) at 00:01:41. Teltsidou had scored a waza-ari with Ushiro-goshi at 1:27, following an initial shido against both athletes at 0:14 for Avoid-Grip. Serafima Moscalu (ROU) and Michaela Polleres (AUT) won bronze.
Women -78 kg
Petrunjela Pavic (CRO) is the women's -78 kg champion. She beat Mao Izumi (JPN) in the final by ippon (Cancel Waza-ari) at 00:02:33. Izumi had scored a waza-ari with De-ashi-harai at 1:12 and a yuko with Yoko-shiho-gatame at 1:53, but Pavic's decisive technique at 2:26 overturned the score. Fanny Estelle Posvite (FRA) and Metka Lobnik (SLO) took bronze.
Women +78 kg
Raz Hershko (ISR) secured the women's +78 kg gold medal, defeating Celia Cancan (FRA) in the final with an ippon from Harai-goshi at 00:01:11. The decisive technique occurred at 1:07. Safa Soliman (EGY) and Emma-Melis Aktas (EST) won bronze.
Notable Performances
Among other top-rated athletes, Hidayat Heydarov (AZE) was eliminated in the Round of 64 by Benedek Toth (HUN). Lara Cvjetko (CRO) placed 7th after losing in the repechage to Ingrid Nilsson (SWE). Messaoud Redouane Dris (ALG) finished 5th, falling to Shusuke Uchimura (JPN) in the bronze medal match. Kisumi Omori (JPN) was defeated by Nicole Stakhov (GER) in the Round of 32.
Hungary Grand Slam 2026 -- medallists
| Category | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Final won by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men -60 kg | Izhak Ashpiz ISR, Elo 1343 | Enzo Jean FRA, Elo 1255 | Artem Lesiuk UKR, Elo 1183 David Starkel SLO, Elo 1120 | Ippon (Ura-nage) |
| Men -66 kg | Boyan Yotov BUL, Elo 1154 | Byambasuren Ulziibayar MGL, Elo 1058 | Denis Vieru MDA, Elo 1261 Ryusei Seki JPN, Elo 1070 | Ippon (Ura-nage) |
| Men -73 kg | Rashid Mammadaliyev AZE, Elo 1278 | Narek Vardanian SWE, Elo 1211 | Ibrahim Demirel TUR, Elo 1165 Shusuke Uchimura JPN, Elo 1274 | Ippon (Seoi-nage) |
| Men -81 kg | Yoshito Hojo JPN, Elo 1322 | Mihajlo Simin SRB, Elo 1239 | Murodjon Yuldoshev UZB, Elo 1274 Vusal Galandarzade AZE, Elo 1225 | Hansoku-make (third shido) in golden score |
| Men -90 kg | Guilherme Schimidt BRA, Elo 1326 | Boris Rutovic SRB, Elo 1207 | Mihail Latisev MDA, Elo 1282 Lachlan Moorhead GBR, Elo 1119 | - |
| Men -100 kg | Gennaro Pirelli ITA, Elo 1290 | Jorge Fonseca POR, Elo 1329 | Niiaz Bilalov RUS, Elo 1350 Daniel Eich SUI, Elo 1329 | - |
| Men +100 kg | Valerii Endovitskii RUS, Elo 1211 | Marek-Adrian Masak EST, Elo 1100 | Losseni Kone GER, Elo 1221 Dzhamal Gamzatkhanov AZE, Elo 1071 | - |
| Women -48 kg | Sabina Giliazova RUS, Elo 1275 | Kristina Dudina RUS, Elo 1245 | Baasankhuu Bavuudorj MGL, Elo 1325 Tomoka Arakawa JPN, Elo 1127 | Hansoku-make (third shido) in golden score |
| Women -52 kg | Ayumi Leiva Sanchez ESP, Elo 1215 | Barbara Twarowska POL, Elo 1070 | Odette Giuffrida ITA, Elo 1482 Tereza Bodnarova CZE, Elo 1222 | Yuko (O-uchi-gari) |
| Women -57 kg | Haruka Funakubo JPN, Elo 1519 | Olga Mukhina RUS, Elo 1198 | Seija Ballhaus GER, Elo 1300 Sarah Souza BRA, Elo 1218 | Waza-ari-awasete-ippon (Yoko-shiho-gatame, hold-down) |
| Women -63 kg | Megu Danno JPN, Elo 1268 | Kaja Kajzer SLO, Elo 1267 | Ariela Sanchez Benitez ESP, Elo 1154 Kerem Primo ISR, Elo 1149 | Yuko (Ko-uchi-gari) in golden score |
| Women -70 kg | Elisavet Teltsidou GRE, Elo 1370 | Kaillany Cardoso BRA, Elo 1141 | Serafima Moscalu ROU, Elo 1176 Michaela Polleres AUT, Elo 1291 | Waza-ari-awasete-ippon (Yoko-shiho-gatame, hold-down) |
| Women -78 kg | Petrunjela Pavic CRO, Elo 1092 | Mao Izumi JPN, Elo 1259 | Fanny Estelle Posvite FRA, Elo 1278 Metka Lobnik SLO, Elo 1229 | Ippon (Cancel Waza-ari) |
| Women +78 kg | Raz Hershko ISR, Elo 1332 | Celia Cancan FRA, Elo 1241 | Safa Soliman EGY, Elo 1187 Emma-Melis Aktas EST, Elo 1190 | Ippon (Harai-goshi) |
Results and final scores from the IJF. Elo is projudo.xyz's rating after the event. Names link to full profiles on projudo.xyz.
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