The second day of the Zagreb Grand Prix 2026 brought another 11 medals for Europe, matching the continent’s tally from the opening day. Georgia’s Giorgi Loladze claimed his first World Judo Tour gold, while Ireland’s Joshua Green reached the podium at this level for the first time. Croatia’s Iva Oberan delivered one of the loudest moments of the afternoon, with the Netherlands, France, Kosovo, Switzerland, Israel and Ukraine also among the medal-winning nations.
–63 kg: Oberan brings Zagreb Arena to its feet
Few athletes received a welcome quite like Iva Oberan (CRO). Hundreds of schoolchildren filled the stands, armed with posters and flashing lights, ready to support their home favourite in the bronze medal contest against Esmigul Kuyulova (KAZ). They barely had time to settle into their seats. Just 23 seconds after hajime, Oberan launched a powerful o-soto-gari to score ippon, sending the Croatian supporters into celebration. It was a commanding performance and a memorable moment for the home crowd.
In the other bronze medal contest, Joanne van Lieshout (NED) demonstrated the quality that made her world champion in 2024. Facing Hungary’s Anna Kriza, who continues to show encouraging progress on the international circuit, the Dutch judoka took control with a powerful hip technique for yuko. She added a second score through a counter to Kriza’s uchi-mata before registering a third in the closing seconds to secure bronze.
The final saw Slovenia’s Kaja Kajzer Zabkar challenge Canada’s Jessica Klimkait in a demanding tactical encounter. Both athletes fought relentlessly for gripping control, with Kajzer Zabkar successfully defending against an early seoi-otoshi attempt. However, two shido penalties left the Slovenian under increasing pressure. Klimkait eventually found her opening with just 14 seconds remaining, scoring waza-ari with her trademark technique to take gold. Kajzer Zabkar finished with silver.
–73 kg: Loladze strikes gold as Green makes history of his own
The –73 kg final delivered one of the day’s most compelling European encounters, with Giorgi Loladze (GEO) and Joshua Green (IRL) both chasing their first World Judo Tour medals. Neither was prepared to surrender an inch. Strong gripping exchanges, committed attacks and equally impressive defensive work carried the contest into golden score, with just one shido against each athlete. Almost two minutes into extra time, Loladze finally broke the deadlock. A well-timed o-uchi-gari earned the Georgian a yuko and, with it, his first gold medal on the World Judo Tour. For Green, silver represented an equally significant career milestone, his first medal at this level.
Reflecting on his achievement, Loladze struggled to contain his excitement: “I am very overwhelmed! I have won a gold medal at an IJF tournament for the first time and I am so happy; I don’t know how to express it, I am so glad. This is just the beginning of everything.” He also praised the atmosphere in Zagreb and the enthusiasm of the young supporters, describing the arena and the country in glowing terms.
The bronze medal contests brought further European success. An all-French encounter between Nathan Cadignan (FRA) and Maxime Gobert (FRA) began with intense gripping exchanges before Gobert seized his opportunity. A counterattack earned him waza-ari, which he immediately followed with a transition into ne-waza, securing victory through an arm-lock against his teammate. Meanwhile, Akil Gjakova (KOS) faced Spain’s Anton Shuhalieiev in a contest between two closely ranked opponents. With both athletes searching for an opening, Shuhalieiev initiated an attack, only for Gjakova to turn the situation in his favour. The Kosovan established control and completed a clean throw for ippon, adding another bronze to Europe’s tally.
Source: www.eju.net
