Pool A: Tchrikishvili (GEO)
Tchrikishvili defeated Ivan Silva Morales (CUB) with uchimata for yuko. His next match, against Juan Diego Turcios (ESA), should have been an easier one but the El Salvadorian player really took the fight to Tchrikishvili. The Georgian didn't come close to throwing Turcios and in the end, relied on penalties for the win. He won more decisively against Matteo Marconcini (ITA), throwing in him in the opening seconds with a left hip technique for yuko. He followed that up with a right hip technique for waza-ari.
Pool B: Stevens (USA)
Stevens beat Robin Pacek (SWE) with tomoe-nage for yuko. Against Shakhzodbek Sabirov (UZB), he used koshi-guruma which scored yuko and later he did a pin for ippon. Stevens also used groundwork to defeat Ivaylo Ivanov (BUL), pinning him for ippon.
Pool C: Toma (UAE)
Nagase defeated Laszlo Csoknyai (HUN) with drop sode-tsuri-komi-goshi for yuko. Then, he threw and pinned Paul Kibikai (GAB) for an easy victory. That brought him up against Sergiu Toma (UAE), a strong fighter originally from Moldavia. Toma beat Sven Maresch (GER) by ippon after the German accumulated four shidos and got hansoku-make. He threw home favourite, Victor Penalber (BRA), with sode-tsuri-komi-goshi for waza-ari. Penalber responded with osoto-kosoto combo for yuko. Toma hit back with kosoto for yuko, and another sode for waza-ari-awasatte-ippon. His match against Nagase was his toughest but Toma managed to pull off a one-handed sode-tsuri-komi-goshi that scored yuko.
Pool D: Khalmuraev (RUS)
Khalmurzaev's first bout, against Saeid Mollaei (IRI), was a closely fought one and in the end, the Russian edged ahead through penalties (3 to 2 in favor of the Russian). He scored early in his next bout, against Mohamed Abdelaal (EGY), with a osoto-kosoto attack that gave him a waza-ari lead, after which he rode the time out. His quarter-final match against Antoine Valois-Fortier (CAN) was scoreless during regular time but once they got into Golden Score he executed a deft kouchi-gari that gave him a waza-ari and a ticket to the semi-finals.
Repecharge
Marconcini's repecharge match against Ivanov was a hard fought one that went deep into Golden Score. After three minutes of extra time, with each trading consistent butrelatively safe attacks, Ivanov went for broke and launched into a daring hugging kosoto-gake. It was a gamble that did not pay off. Marconcini was able to counter him for ippon. With that, the Italian was through to fight for bronze. In the other repecharge match, Nagase threw Valois-Forteir with a cross-grip osoto-gari/harai-goshi hybrid technique that landed the Canadian flat on his back for ippon. Nagase could yet salvage a bronze for Japan.
Semi-Finals
The Stevens-Tchrikishvili match was a tactical one with no one coming close to scoring. In the last minute, after Tchrikishvili did a desperate flop-and-drop attack, Stevens slipped in a strangle that had the Georgian tapping. Khalmurzaev's match against Toma was also very tactical. But in Golden Score Khalmurzaev threw Toma with sumi-gaeshi for ippon.
Bronze
Marconcini had fought remarkably well throughout the day but in his bronze medal match, he wasn't able to stop a determined Toma who threw him with sumi-gaeshi for ippon. Tchrikishvili came out guns blazing and went hard after Nagase, who managed to weather the attacks long enough to execute a very low uchimata for yuko. Tchrikishvili was not able to get that score back and had to go home empty-handed.
Day 4: Men's -81kg
The Men's -81kg division saw 33 participants vying for gold. This division featured many top competitors including Avtandili Tchrikishvili (GEO), Travis Stevens (USA), Takemori Nagase (JPN), Loic Pietri (FRA) and Khasan Khalmurzaev (RUS).