Matthias Kass sets the record straight… gold by winning in Antalya!

He managed to immobilize his strong opponent, vice-champion of the Olympics in 2021, world champion in 2018, with whom he has already met seven times and scored three victories against four for the Azerbaijani, the legend in -81 kg we remember. The problems with Iran, his native country, which he left after the intimidation he was a victim of.

This gold medal, Matthias Kaas wanted it above all, especially against that rival who deprived him of it in November, in Baku, before winning again in the Masters tournament in December, in Jerusalem. So our compatriot has set the record straight… with gold! And it bodes well for the World Cup, which will be held in mid-May in Doha.

Mathias is already ready, both physically and mentally, for the challenge. Meanwhile, he provided himself with his fourth victory in the four Grand Slams after Paris 2020, Abu Dhabi 2021 and Tel Aviv 2022. A sacred list of achievements, to which we must add four more medals, two silver and two bronze. , evidence of its stability at the highest level since 2018.

Matthias Kaas qualified for this final by defeating France’s Dagalo, who found him on the podium with the bronze medal, during an already heated battle. Facing that opponent he met and defeated in 2020, in Paris, Matthias was patient and ended up winning by pushing him to the floor as extra time loomed. Approved with ippon, corrected in waza-ari, our compatriot had to be careful to the end.

Overthrown by a young Uzbek!

Exempted from the first round, Matias Kass finds Portugal’s Egutidze, a judoka he’s already met six times (three wins, three defeats), but not since 2020. So Antwerper was a little wary of this opponent, who is still the bronze medalist in World Cup 2021, but he didn’t have to give everything he could, because he wasn’t very combative. Thus the Portuguese were penalized three times, first for illegal booking, then for negativity (twice), after just over two and a half minutes.

And what followed turned out to be even more exciting with the young Uzbek Mortuzov (20 years old). With nothing to lose against the world number 2, he managed to pull off a great move that allowed him to lead the score! Slightly shaken at that time, Matthias Kaas quickly regained his senses to “walk” his opponent, who resisted him as best he could. But what happened happened: the Antwerp man managed to turn the Uzbek on his back and immobilize him.

On the way to the quarter-finals, where last year’s silver medalist Spaniard Mendiola awaited him in Abu Dhabi. Arriving a little late, Matias had no problem disposing of this 26-year-old opponent, whom he had already defeated in 2016. With a movement of the shoulder, he knocked down our Spaniard, worked him to the ground and, finally, immobilized him. The door to qualifying for the semi-finals of these four Grand Slam tournaments was open to him. And at this stage of the competition, he was opposed by the Frenchman Dagalo.

Matthias Kass before Antalya: “My early exclusion in Paris was a good lesson”