Lachlan Moorhead Wins Hungary Grand Slam Bronze in Budapest
September 14, 2026
Lachlan Moorhead (Penistone JC) delivered Great Britain’s best result at the 2026 Hungary Grand Slam, winning a bronze medal in Budapest.
Competing at -90kg for the fifth time this year after stepping up from -81kg, Moorhead produced an outstanding performance to secure his first podium finish of 2026 and equal the best IJF World Tour result of his career.
Starting his day in the Round of 32, Moorhead faced Levente Kiss (HUN). He produced a dominant opening display, throwing for ippon with an excellent Kata-guruma after just one minute to progress.
Next up was World No. 8 Nemanja Majdov (SRB), a two-time Olympian, former world champion and current European silver medallist. Facing one of the toughest draws in the division, Moorhead rose to the challenge, submitting Majdov just over halfway through the contest to book his place in the quarter-finals.
His quarter-final opponent was Astemir Abazov, with the Russian coming out on top as Moorhead dropped into the repechage. He bounced back in incredible fashion, securing another ippon victory just over halfway through the contest to earn his place in the final block and a shot at bronze.
In the bronze medal contest, he faced World No. 12 Yahor Varapayeu (BLR), who arrived in Budapest in strong form after winning gold at the Qingdao Grand Prix.
The contest proved to be one of Moorhead’s toughest challenges of the day, but the British judoka found the breakthrough late on, scoring yuko with just 40 seconds remaining. He stayed composed to see out the contest and claim his first IJF World Tour medal since 2021.
The result marks a major breakthrough in the -90kg division, earning valuable world ranking points and building strong momentum as the Olympic qualification period continues.
Reflecting on his bronze medal performance, Moorhead said: “I’m over the moon with my performance this weekend. It’s a testament to the hard work myself, my coach, and my training partners have put in this year.
“I’m looking forward to seeing more success from all of us throughout the Olympic qualification period.”
Congratulations, Lachlan!
