Uzbekistan’s Olympic champion Diyora Keldiyorova won bronze at the Judo Grand Prix in Zagreb, Croatia, returning to the international podium after a break from competition. In the bronze-medal match, she faced France’s Blandine Pont, seized control, applied an arm lock and finished the contest early with ippon. The result adds another major international medal to the record of one of Uzbekistan’s most prominent judo athletes.
Key Takeaways: Keldiyorova lost in the semifinal to Hungary’s Rosa Gyertyás, who went on to win the tournament, before defeating Blandine Pont by ippon in the bronze-medal bout. It is her first Grand Prix medal since returning to top-level sport after the Paris Olympics. Earlier, she won gold at the Aktau Asian Open 2026, where Uzbekistan collected 13 medals, including five golds.
The Zagreb Grand Prix is part of the International Judo Federation calendar and carries ranking points, making it an important stop for athletes preparing for major championships and the next Olympic cycle. For Keldiyorova, the event was also a test of competitive rhythm after time away from the mat. Her run to the semifinal demonstrated that she remains among the leading judoka in her weight category, combining technical precision with tactical discipline.
On her way to the semifinal, Keldiyorova defeated Aruzhan Yerezhepova of Kazakhstan, Soumiya Iraoui of Morocco and Fatjona Kasapi of Kosovo. In the semifinal she lost to Hungary’s Rosa Gyertyás, the eventual tournament winner. In the bronze-medal contest against Pont, the Uzbek athlete took the initiative, executed a decisive arm lock and ended the bout before the limit, earning ippon. The IJF highlighted her return to the podium, publishing emotional footage of the athlete with coach Marco Spitka.
After winning Olympic gold in Paris, Keldiyorova paused her career and became a mother. Her return to the Grand Prix podium is therefore being viewed as a significant step in rebuilding full competition form. The bronze in Zagreb gives her valuable ranking points and match experience while also signalling to rivals that she remains a serious contender in the category.
Attention will now turn to Keldiyorova’s next competitions and the wider Uzbek team’s preparations for upcoming ranking events and continental championships. Coaches and analysts are expected to assess her progress carefully as she balances training, recovery and family commitments. No official announcement has yet been made about her immediate competition schedule, but her Zagreb result suggests that further podium finishes are realistic in the coming months.
Source: podrobno.uz