Asadulloev wins bronze as Tajikistan earns one medal at Lausanne Grand Slam

Mukhiddin Asadulloev delivered Tajikistan's only medal at the Grand Slam in Lausanne, taking bronze in the 73-kilogram category after a demanding run through the draw.

The tournament took place in Switzerland from August 28 to 30 and marked the first serious test of Tajikistan's preparation after the team skipped the summer World Tour stages in Ulan Bator and Qingdao. The judokas had trained in Romit Gorge, Dushanbe and Kazakhstan.

Asadulloev needed golden score to defeat South Korea's Lee Eun-kyu in the round of 16. He then beat Georgia's Giorgi Loladze in another bout that went to extra time, securing the win with an ippon. His semifinal against Russia's Daniil Lavrentiev ended with a submission hold, sending him into the bronze contest.

There, Asadulloev defeated the experienced Kazbek Naguchev of the United Arab Emirates to finish third. The Grand Slam offered a total prize fund of 154,000 euros, with bronze medalists receiving 1,500 euros.

Other Tajik competitors made progress but did not reach the medals. Loik Kutbuddinov advanced to the round of 16 in the 60-kilogram category, while Iskandar Makhmadkhodzazoda reached the same stage after defeating 2025 European champion Daiki Boubu of France. Both were then eliminated. The two Tajik women in the competition exited earlier, with Akhlia Muminova losing her opening bout to a Chilean opponent.