Golden Aitana Diaz Hernandez is keeper of the Spanish heritage U48kg

On day 2 in Zagreb Spanish Aitana Diaz Hernandez claimed the gold medal for women U48kg. Spanish lightweights have a reputation in the history of Spanish judo and even nowadays at senior level they deliver. In the final U48kg Diaz Hernandez fought the unseeded Marharyta Miroshnichenko (UKR)

In each round Diaz Hernandez took no time at all to get into her stride. The -48 kg category competitors didn’t do their research because this Ukrainian is well known at -44 kg, with 6 Tour medals under her belt there.

In the final the Ukrainian followed through on her promise made at the lower category by throwing for waza-ari against Diaz Hernandez very early on. It looked she would hold the score too but the Spaniard had other ideas and used a patient and excellently applied turnover to find ippon a different way and become world cadet champion.

After receiving her gold medal, Diaz Hernandez said, “At the beginning of the day I just thought about the first fight and then I moved on to thinking about the next. That was my way to take the gold. I enjoyed the day a lot as it’s my last cadet competition and I finished very well with the strongest end to the year.”

The stand out favourite from among all 4 categories has to have been Tara Babulfath. She’s not only world number 1 in the cadet age band at -48 kg but is also world number 4 among juniors having won gold medals in Coimbra, Poznan and Berlin in 2023 at the -21 level.

Last year Babulfath won the Europeans but fell one place short of her goal, becoming world cadet silver medallist in Sarajevo. Here in Zagreb she had a score to settle after the first couple of rounds she looked perfectly on track.

Her first contest of the day, in the second round, was an unfortunate draw for either Tara or for the unseeded Japanese judoka, Hatayama. Many of the Japanese competing in Zagreb haven’t any other reference on the -18 World Tour, still arriving though with highly technical judo and the foundations in place to be able to win both now and in the future. Babulfath is in another league and even the Japanese couldn’t handle her mature and capable presence.

Once the Japanese challenge was out of the way, it looked like a clear run to gold for the Swede. That wasn’t the case though as judo at all levels will forever throw up anomalies, opportunities, unknown quantities and impressive artistic displays of fortitude. Babulfath didn’t envisage meeting her friend Diaz Hernandez (ESP) in the semi-final. They know each other well and the Spanish fighter wasn’t ready to accept defeat. She worked, as any judoka must and won on penalties, carefully, methodically and skilfully. Babulfath was relegated to the bronze medal contest, not reaching the top spot, for the second year running.

In the uncomfortable position to be facing top favourite Babulfath for bronze was up-and-coming Uzbek Zarina Jamalova, the determined powerhouse who took  out the number two seed earlier in the day and was only beaten in the quarter-final by Jamsran (MGL), whose last contest of the day would be for the other bronze medal.

Jamsran led by waza-ari in her medal fight against Storione (ITA) until the very last second, under the pressure of penalties throughout but weathering the storm. The Italian didn’t let her energy drop at all and at 3:59 on the clock she popped a beautifully placed ko-uchi-gari under the Mongolian and scored ippon. This was an excellent display of perseverance.

Babulfath and Jamalova then came to the tatami. Each attacked, each avoided but the clear difference was the transition phase of each exchange. The Swedish judoka is known for her ability on the ground and for this medal she gave it everything , holding the Uzbek for ippon. She and her coach, 1980 world champion Jane Bridge, nodded and completed their day. It’s a rostrum finish even if not the one she planned.