Ukrainian judoka Yevhen Balevskyi has won the bronze medal at the Zagreb Grand Prix in the over 100 kg weight category. The tournament, held from November 13 to 15, 2026, as part of the international IJF World Judo Tour series, brought the Ukrainian national team its second award: earlier, Savytskyi won gold in the under 100 kg category. However, Balevskyi's path to the podium turned out to be unusual — the decisive third-place match never actually took place on the tatami.
Bronze Without a Bout: Opponent Withdraws Due to Injury
In the bronze medal match, the 26-year-old Ukrainian was scheduled to face Ushangi Kokauri of Azerbaijan, who is ranked second in the world and is the silver medalist of the 2026 World Championships. However, before the bout began, the Azerbaijani representative withdrew due to an injury. According to IJF rules, Balevskyi was awarded the victory without stepping onto the tatami, which automatically secured the tournament bronze medal for him.
Third Grand Prix Bronze
For Balevskyi, this award is the third bronze of his career in Grand Prix competitions. In 2025, he climbed to the podium twice — at tournaments in Linz and Lima. In the same season, the Ukrainian judoka won the European Open in La Nucia, Spain, and finished fifth at the European Championships in Podgorica. Thus, Balevskyi demonstrates a consistently high level on the international arena, regularly featuring among the medalists at major starts.
The 2026 Season: From Seventh Places to Club Honors
The current season has been mixed for Balevskyi. At the Upper Austria Grand Prix and the Grand Slam in Hungary, he finished seventh, failing to reach the semifinals. However, at the end of October 2026, the Ukrainian made a significant contribution to club sports: competing for the French club ACBB Judo, he helped the team win bronze medals in the European Judo Champions League for the first time in its history. This result became an important achievement for both the athlete himself and the French club.
Tournament Context and Significance for the National Team
The Zagreb Grand Prix traditionally features on the IJF World Judo Tour calendar and attracts the world's strongest judokas. For the Ukrainian national team, the tournament concluded with two awards — Savytskyi's gold in the under 100 kg category and Balevskyi's bronze in the over 100 kg division. Given that the bronze medal bout ended prematurely due to the opponent's injury, Balevskyi's result is formally official, but raises certain discussions regarding its sporting value. Nevertheless, from the perspective of the IJF ranking and tournament standings, the medal has been fully credited.
