Abu Dhabi Grand Slam 2026: Lytvynenko wins home gold as Demetrashvili and Vukovic close heavyweight finale

The Abu Dhabi Grand Slam ended on Saturday, 31 October with five heavyweight finals and a home victory to celebrate. Newly crowned world champion Yelyzaveta Lytvynenko won the women's -78kg title for the United Arab Emirates, while Ivaylo Ivanov (Bulgaria), Idar Bifov (Russia), Helena Vukovic (Croatia) and Irakli Demetrashvili (Georgia) took the other gold medals on the third and final day of the IJF World Tour event.

Azerbaijan, who had led the standings after two days, finished on top of the medal table with two golds, one silver and two bronzes after Ushangi Kokauri added a silver in the men's +100kg.

A home gold for the new world champion

Lytvynenko was competing for the first time wearing the red backpatch that marks the reigning world champion, and she made the occasion count in front of the Emirati crowd. In the -78kg final she met Portugal's Patricia Sampaio and won it with a strong counter-attack.

The result handed the host nation its showpiece moment of the three days.

Demetrashvili beats Kokauri in the +100kg final

The last final of the tournament brought together Georgia's Irakli Demetrashvili and Azerbaijan's Ushangi Kokauri, a world championship silver medallist. Demetrashvili threw his opponent and then secured the hold-down to finish the contest, collecting his second Grand Slam gold of 2026.

For Kokauri, the silver still mattered: it was Azerbaijan's fifth medal of the event, following two golds and two bronzes over the first two days, and it kept them first in the table.

Ivanov's 11-year wait and Bifov's armlock

In the men's -90kg final, Bulgaria's Ivaylo Ivanov came from behind against Mihail Latisev of Moldova to win. It was his second Grand Slam title, arriving 11 years after his first, and came after a run of injuries he said had troubled his preparation the previous year.

Russia's Idar Bifov won the men's -100kg category against France's Aurelien Diesse. Bifov controlled the groundwork and finished the contest with an armlock. French judo great Teddy Riner, a triple Olympic champion and 12-time world champion, was among those presenting the -100kg medals.

Vukovic wins tactical +78kg final

Croatia's Helena Vukovic beat Israel's Raz Hershko in the women's +78kg final with a patient, tactical performance. Her gold lifted Croatia to second in the medal table with two golds and a bronze.

Final medal table (top five)

According to the IJF competition page, the leading nations at the close of the event were:

• Azerbaijan: 2 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze
• Croatia: 2 gold, 0 silver, 1 bronze
• France: 1 gold, 2 silver, 0 bronze
• Russia: 1 gold, 1 silver, 4 bronze
• Portugal: 1 gold, 1 silver, 0 bronze

Abu Dhabi is four hours behind Malaysia. The event was another stop on the IJF World Tour as judoka gather ranking points on the road to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

Key takeaways

• Yelyzaveta Lytvynenko won the women's -78kg gold for the hosts UAE, beating Patricia Sampaio of Portugal.
• Irakli Demetrashvili beat Ushangi Kokauri in the +100kg final for his second Grand Slam title of 2026.
• Ivaylo Ivanov won his second Grand Slam gold 11 years after his first; Idar Bifov won -100kg by armlock.
• Helena Vukovic took +78kg gold for Croatia against Raz Hershko.
• Azerbaijan topped the final medal table with 2 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze.

FAQ

When was the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam 2026 held? It ran from 29 to 31 October 2026 in Abu Dhabi, with the heavyweight categories held on the final day.

Who won the most medals in Abu Dhabi? Azerbaijan topped the medal table on golds with two, plus one silver and two bronzes. Russia won six medals in total, but only one of them was gold.

Who won the men's +100kg title? Irakli Demetrashvili of Georgia, who threw and then pinned Azerbaijan's Ushangi Kokauri in the final.

Sources: International Judo Federation (IJF), Euronews, Report.az, JudoInside