Yonezuka, Berliner and Jayne Earn Top-16 Results at the Tbilisi Grand Slam

(Colorado Springs, CO) – Three members of Team USA advanced to the round of 16 over the weekend at the Tbilisi Grand Slam in Georgia.

2024 Tbilisi Grand Slam Results

Ari Berliner (Schenectady, NY / NYAC / Jason Morris Judo Center), Jack Yonezuka (West Long Branch, NJ / NYAC / Cranford JKC) and John Jayne (Chicago, IL) earned top-16 finishes in the 66 kg, 73 kg and 90 kg divisions, respectively.  

Berliner opened with a bye into the round of 32 in his 66 kg division on Friday. In his opening match, Berliner armbarred 2023 Dushanbe Grand Prix bronze medalist Sunggat Zhubatkan (KAZ) in the final minute.

In the next round, Berliner and World No. 7 Willian Lima (BRA) had two penalties each when Berliner was given the third that would cost him the match with Lima going on to win his sixth career Grand Slam medal.

Two weeks after earning his first Grand Prix medal with a bronze in Linz, Austria, Yonezuka finished 1-1 in the 73 kg division in Georgia on Saturday.

The two-time Junior World medalist earned a bye into the round of 32 where he threw two-time Grand Slam medalist Alexandru Raicu (ROU) late in the third minute for a waza-ari score.

In the round of 16, Yonezuka and former Junior World Champion Heoncheol Kang (KOR) went nearly a minute into Golden Score (sudden death overtime) before Kang took control of the match on the ground, pinning Yonezuka who submitted.

Jayne, a two-time Senior Pan Am-Oceania Championships bronze medalist, drew a bye into the round of 32 in the 90 kg division on Sunday where he bested Yahor Varapayeu (INA) on penalties.

Jayne drew the Tokyo Olympic Champion, Lasha Bekauri (GEO), in the next round as Bekauri worked his way through the bracket to the roars of his home crowd. Bekauri threw Jayne for ippon in his second win of a day where he would dominate the field to win gold.

A member of the 2023 Senior Pan Am-Oceania Championship Team, Melissa Myers (Burnt Hills, NY / Jason Morris Judo Center) earned Olympic qualifying points by advancing to the round of 32. Myers scored a walkover in the 70 kg division against Lizi Kvartskhava (GEO) in the round of 64 on Saturday. In the next round, Myers was thrown and pinned by Florine Soula (FRA) for a pair of waza-ari scores. 

Top eight and U.S. results are as follows:

Men's 60 kg
1. Nurkanat Serikbayev (KAZ)
2. Yam Wolczak (ISR)
3. Tornike Tsjakadoea (NED)
3. Balabay Aghayev (AZE)
5. Giorgi Sardalashvili (GEO)
5. Richard Vergnes (FRA)
7. Turan Bayramov (AZE)
7. Dilshot Khalmatov (UKR)

Women's 48 kg
1. Hyekyeong Lee (KOR)
2. Laura Espadinha (FRA)
3. Galiya Tynbayeva (KAZ)
3. Zongying Guo (CHN)
5. Khalimajon Kurbonova (UZB)
5. Mireia Lapuerta Comas (ESP)
7. Iuliia Semikolenova (AIN)
7. Amanda Lima (BRA)

Men's 66 kg
1. Ivan Chernykh (AIN)
2. Sardor Nurillaev (UZB)
3. Ruslan Pashayev (AZE)
3. Willian Lima (BRA)
5. Rashad Yelkiyev (AZE)
5. Matteo Piras (ITA)
7. Matej Poliak (SVK)
7. Ravshan Nasriddinov (AIN)

Also Competed: Ari Berliner (Schenectady, NY / NYAC / Jason Morris Judo Center), 1-1

Women's 52 kg
1. Ariane Toro Soler (ESP)
2. Ana Viktorija Puljiz (CRO)
3. Distria Krasniqi (KOS)
3. Mascha Ballhaus (GER)
5. Seyun Jang (KOR)
5. Yeqing Zhu (CHN)
7. Larissa Pimenta (BRA)
7. Binta Ndiaye (SUI)

Men's 73 kg
1. Lasha Shavdatuashvili (GEO)
2. Karen Galstian (AIN)
3. Soichi Hashimoto (JPN)
3. Tohar Butbul (ISR)
5. Mark Hristov (BUL)
5. Alexander Bernd Gabler (GER)
7. Heoncheol Kang (KOR)
7. Martin Hojak (SLO)

Also Competed: Jack Yonezuka (West Long Branch, NJ / NYAC / Cranford JKC), 1-1

Women's 57 kg
1. Eteri Liparteliani (GEO)
2. Jessica Klimkait (CAN)
3. Rafaela Silva (BRA)
3. Christa Deguchi (CAN)
5. Jessica Lima (BRA)
5. Kaja Kajzer (SLO)
7. Marica Perisic (SRB)
7. Pauline Starke (GER)

Also Competed: Mariah Holguin (San Antonio, TX / Universal Judo), 0-1

Men's 81 kg
1. Timur Arbuzov (AIN)
2. Sharofiddin Boltaboev (UZB)
3. Sagi Muki (ISR)
3. Nugzari Tatalashvili (UAE)
5. Gabriel Falcao (BRA)
5. Aurelien Bonferroni (SUI)
7. Dimitri Gochilaidze (GEO)
7. Omar Rajabli (AZE)

Also Competed: Kell Berliner (Schenectady, NY / Jason Morris Judo Center), 0-1
Bryan Davis (Monterey Park, CA / LA Tenri), 0-1

Women's 63 kg
1. Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard (CAN)
2. Angelika Szymanska (POL)
3. Kim Jisu (KOR)
3. Joanne Van Lieshout (NED)
5. Laura Fazliu (KOS)
5. Jing Tang (CHN)
7. Maylin Del Toro Carvajal (CUB)
7. Ketleyn Quadros (BRA)

Men’s 90 kg
1. Lasha Bekauri (GEO)
2. Eljan Hajiyev (AZE)
3. Juyeop Han (KOR)
3. Theodoros Tselidis (GRE)
5. Sungho Lee (KOR)
5. Robert Florentino (DOM)
7. Alex Cret (ROU)
7. Peter Silka (SVK)

Also Competed: John Jayne (Chicago, IL), 1-1
Davit Aghasaryan (Sunland, CA / Los Angeles Tenri Judo Dojo), 0-1

Women's 70 kg
1. Barbara Matic (CRO)
2. Sanne van Dijke (NED)
3. Miriam Butkereit (GER)
3. Elisavet Teltsidou (GRE)
5. Aoife Coughlan (AUS)
5. Giovanna Scoccimarro (GER)
7. Hilde Jager (NED)
7. Anka Pogacnik (SLO)

Also Competed: Melissa Myers (Burnt Hills, NY / Jason Morris Judo Center), 1-1

Men’s 100 kg
1. Nikoloz Sherazadishvili (ESP)
2. Shady Elnahas (CAN)
3. Laurin Boehler (AUT)
3. Zsombor Veg (HUN)
5. Islam Bozbayev (KAZ)
5. Mikheil Japaridze (GEO)
7. Ernazar Sarsenbaev (UZB)
7. Daniel Eich (SUI)

Also Competed: Nate Keeve (San Rafael, CA / NYAC), 0-1

Women’s 78 kg
1. Yuliia Kurchenko (UKR)
2. Guusje Steenhuis (NED)
3. Yelyzaveta Lytvynenko (UKR)
3. Alina Boehm (GER)
5. Zhenzhao Ma (CHN)
5. Audrey Tcheumeo (FRA)
7. Liubov Orlova (AIN)
7. Metka Lobnik (SLO)

Men’s +100 kg
1. Guram Tushishvili (GEO)
2. Ushangi Kokauri (AZE)
3. Saba Inaneishvili (GEO)
3. Andy Granda (CUB)
5. Yerassyl Kazhybayev (KAZ)
5. Marius Fizel (SVK)
7. Losseni Kone (GER)
7. Irakli Demetrashvili (GEO)

Women’s +78 kg
1. Renee Lucht (GER)
2. Coralie Hayme (FRA)
3. Hyeonji Lee (KOR)
3. Asya Tavano (ITA)
5. Akira Sone (JPN)
5. Idalys Ortiz (CUB)
7. Shiyan Xu (CHN)
7. Beatriz Souza (BRA)