Turkiye finished top of the judo medal table at the Taranto 2026 Mediterranean Games, winning three gold medals as judo once again played a prominent role in the competition.
Ibrahim Tataroglu won the men’s +100kg title, while Tugce Beder and Tuana Gulenay took gold in the women’s -48kg and -78kg categories.
Hosts Italy finished second with two gold, three silver and three bronze medals. Croatia was third, followed by Serbia.
Teodor Adrian Pop, an IJF Project Manager based in Budapest and one of the federation’s safeguarding officers, was in Taranto throughout the judo competition.
Speaking to SportsIn, Pop said it was important for judo to have a strong presence at the Mediterranean Games.
“On behalf of the International Federation, I believe it is very important to see judo once again playing an important role in the Mediterranean Games,” Pop said.
The competition featured 14 individual weight categories, followed by the mixed team event, with the judo programme taking place over three days.
Athletes from across the Mediterranean competed against each other, giving them the opportunity to face opponents they could meet again at the World Championships and Olympic Games.
For athletes targeting those competitions, the Mediterranean Games also offered experience of competing under pressure at a major multi-sport event while representing their countries.
Pop said the IJF’s role in Taranto was also focused on the conditions in which the athletes competed.
“From the judo side, our objective is very simple: to provide athletes with the best possible conditions for fair, safe and friendly competition,” he said.
Safeguarding and athlete welfare were therefore part of the IJF’s work alongside the competition itself.
Türkiye finished top of the judo medal table, followed by Italy and Croatia. For the IJF, judo’s presence at the Mediterranean Games was also an important part of the event.
For Pop, the priority was clear. The competition had to provide athletes with a safe and fair environment while giving them the chance to gain experience against international opposition.
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