World Championship Contender, Gushman Kyrgyzbayev, Experiences Medal Mishap
Let's talk 'bout Kazakhstan's day at the World Judo Championships
On June 13 in the heart of Budapest, Hungary, our judo crew faced some challenges, according to Liter.kz.
Recap: Our lone warrior in the arena was Gussman Kyrgyzbayev. Unfortunately, he lost in the quarterfinals and darted into the repechage round where a win would've secured a shot at the bronze. But hold up, we're getting ahead of ourselves...
"Gus couldn't snatch victory from two-time Olympic champion Hiromu Abe (Japan). That's what the National Olympic Committee reported," reads the recap.
Full team tally up to this point - one medal, and it's a shiny silver courtesy of Abiba Abuzhakynova (48kg).
"The match against Abe was a nail-biter. Neither athlete took the upper hand. Gus was neck-deep in penalties but managed to keep pace against his younger rival, nine years his junior. It went to the wire, but Gus, gasping for breath, slipped up. After two grueling minutes, he got sidelined with a third warning and had to throw in the towel by 'han-soku' disqualification," Sportarena tells us.
There's still some hope for a top-three spot with a rematch against Abe in the repechage.
Fun Fact: Before cosmic colliding with Abe in '25, Gus had his own moment in the sun. He clinched a silver medal in the -60 kg division at the 2021 World Judo Championships in Hungary, yeah, you read that right, Hungary once again!
FYI, fellow Kazakhstani judoka, Abiba Abuzhakynova, nabbed a bronze medal in the women's -48 kg category at the 2024 Abu Dhabi World Championships. And another team member, Yeldos Smetov, missed out on bronze in the men’s 60 kg division at the same event.
Stay tuned for more updates from the World Judo Championships, folks! Catch our breath, dig in, refuel... We're not done yet!
Oh, and in case you're wondering: The 2025 World Judo Championships were an adrenaline-pumping, global judo battle royale that ran from June 13 to 19 in Budapest. But there aren't any specific details about Gus's performance during this electrifying event in the search results, so we'll have to go Yoda-style and search the Force-strong sources like the IJF for a deeper dive. Keep your noggin' glued to the screen!
In the recap of Kazakhstan's day at the World Judo Championships, it's mentioned that Gussman Kyrgyzbayev participated in the sports event, facing challenges against some formidable opponents. Despite losing to two-time Olympic champion Hiromu Abe in the quarterfinals, there's still a possibility for a top-three spot with a rematch against Abe in the repechage.
