Unexpected defeat: Diyora Keldiyorova leaves the Grand Slam tournament

Diyora Keldiyorova, the Paris 2024 Olympic judo champion who opened a new chapter in Uzbekistan's sports history, has unexpectedly ended her participation in the prestigious Abu Dhabi Grand Slam tournament held in the United Arab Emirates.

Although our renowned athlete, who represented our country in the -52 kg weight category, successfully passed the initial stage of the competition, she suffered a defeat in a dramatic second-round clash, exiting the race for the podium.

Matches on the Abu Dhabi tatami: A confident start and an unexpected ippon

Throughout the day, Keldiyorova participated in two intense matches:

• First-round victory: Having started the competition actively, our compatriot took to the tatami against Mexico's Paulina Martinez in the opening round and secured the win through confident maneuvers;

• Second-round obstacle: In the second round, Diyora faced experienced Israeli judoka Gefen Primo;

• Premature end: In a match marked by intense struggle, the Israeli athlete's technique was judged as an ippon by the referees, and the bout was decided in Primo's favor ahead of time.

Return to big-time sports: The second test after the Olympics

This competition was the second official international tournament for Diyora Keldiyorova following the historic Olympic Games:

• Maternity leave and a two-year break: After winning the gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, the athlete announced a two-year break from professional sports for family reasons following the birth of her child;

• Golden return in Aktau: In September of this year, our judoka returned to the tatami at the Aktau Asian Open tournament held in Kazakhstan. At that time, she won three consecutive bouts, including defeating an Azerbaijani representative in the final, to climb to the top of the podium;

• Future goals: Despite the setback in Abu Dhabi, our athlete's process of regaining her form through high-level international competitions serves as important experience ahead of future major world championships.

Fans remain confident in the Olympic champion's ability to regain her form and return even stronger with new victories.