Judo: Lesyuk Wins Bronze at the Grand Slam Tournament in Budapest

On Friday, September 11, the Grand Slam judo tournament kicked off in Budapest, Hungary.

On the first day of competition, Ukraine was represented in two weight classes: the men’s 60-kg and 66-kg divisions.

In the under-60 kg category, Artem Lesyuk entered the competition in the second round, defeating Hungary’s David Nádia in his first match. The Ukrainian then went on to defeat Britain’s Charlie Aira and Slovenia’s David Starkel.

In the semifinals, Lesyuk faced Israel’s Yitzhak Ashpiz and suffered a defeat, after which he advanced to the bronze medal match. There, the Ukrainian faced Azerbaijan’s Murad Muradli, whom Artem defeated with an ippon.

For Lesyuk, this medal marked his fourth in the Grand Slam series. Previously, he won gold at the 2022 Grand Slam in Tel Aviv, bronze at the 2023 Grand Slam in Tbilisi, and silver at the 2026 Grand Slam in Dushanbe.

In the 66-kg weight class, Ukraine was represented by Vadym Chernov and Gagik Martirosyan. Neither Ukrainian athlete managed to defeat their first opponents. Chernov lost to Denis Veiru of Moldova, and Martirosyan lost to Byambasuren Ulziybayar of Mongolia.

Judo. Grand Slam. Budapest

up to 60 kg

• Itzhak Ashpiz (Israel)

• Enzo Jean (France)

• Artem Lesyuk (Ukraine), David Starkel (Slovenia)