Japan won seven individual gold medals and beat Russia in the mixed team final to finish top of the medal table at the World Judo Championships in Baku. Georgia took second place, ahead of hosts Azerbaijan.
Japan ended the World Judo Championships in Baku on Sunday with seven individual titles and victory in the mixed team competition, underlining their strength across the sport’s weight categories.
The championships ran from 4 to 11 October, with Georgia finishing second in the medal standings and Azerbaijan third.
Wakana Koga, Uta Abe, Akari Omori, Haruka Kaju, Hifumi Abe, Ryuga Tanaka and Sanshiro Murao won gold for Japan in the individual events.
Georgia’s two titles came from Tato Grigalashvili at -81kg and Ilia Sulamanidze at -100kg. Azerbaijan’s Ahmad Yusifov won the -60kg category, while Zelim Tskayev and Ushangi Kokauri added silver medals at -81kg and +100kg respectively.
Spain, the United Arab Emirates, Russia and South Korea each finished with one gold medal.
TORO SOLER vs UTA ABE
Japan beat Russia to take mixed team title
Japan defeated Russia 4-2 in the mixed team final, with four victories enough to settle the contest in their favour.
Shiho Tanaka, Japan’s 2025 world champion, gave her team the lead against Russia’s Madina Taimazova. Neither judoka could settle the contest in regulation time, but Tanaka scored a yuko in golden score to take the opening point.
Murao doubled Japan’s advantage against Igor Andoni in the -90kg contest. The Russian initially held his ground, but Murao found the opening with an uchi-mata to score a yuko and maintain his advantage.
Mao Arai then beat Daria Rechkalova after a closely fought contest. Arai received two shidos but found her opportunity in golden score, using a counterattack to secure Japan’s third point.
Russia’s Tamerlan Bashaev stopped the run when he defeated Kenta Nakano in the heavyweight contest. Bashaev scored a yuko and resisted Nakano’s late attempt to change the result, giving Russia its first point of the final.
The decisive contest came in the women’s -57kg category. Akari Omori faced Irina Zueva, who started aggressively and later threatened with a choke on the ground.
Omori escaped and turned the contest in Japan’s favour. She scored a yuko before executing a sode-tsurikomi-goshi for a waza-ari, securing the fourth victory Japan needed to take the title. The 4-2 result gave Japan the mixed team gold, with Russia taking silver.
Japan, Mix Team
Uzbekistan take bronze
Uzbekistan defeated Mongolia 4-2 to claim the mixed team bronze medal. Shirinjon Yuldosheva opened the scoring against Mongolia’s Enkhriilen Lkhagvatogoo in the -70kg category. The contest went into golden score, where Yuldosheva scored a yuko.
Murtozoev followed with an ippon in the -90kg category to put Uzbekistan two points ahead. Mongolia responded through Adiyasuren Amarsaikhan, who won the +70kg contest with a choke.
Uzbekistan restored its two-point advantage when Turoboyev beat Gunchigsuren Batkhuyag. Mongolia then reduced the deficit in the -57kg category, where Sosorbaram Lkhagvasuren defeated Shukurjon Aminova in a contest decided by penalties.
With the score at 3-2, Shahram Akhadov faced Uranbayar Odgerel in the final bout. Akhadov scored a yuko and held on to secure Uzbekistan’s 4-2 victory and the bronze medal.
ILIA SULAMANIDZE
Georgia overcome China
Georgia also finished on the mixed team podium, beating China despite starting the contest one point behind.
Sofio Somkhishvili was unable to compete in the final stage, and Georgia had no registered reserve to replace her. The team therefore began with a deficit before the first contest.
Nino Gulbani levelled the score by defeating China’s Lu Liu with a choke. World champion Luka Maisuradze then put Georgia ahead, securing ippon against Hebilige Bu with groundwork.
Irakli Demetrashvili increased the lead by beating Fuchun Huang, leaving Georgia 3-1 ahead.
China fought back through Nan Wang, who scored a yuko against Eteri Liparteliani early in their contest. Liparteliani responded with a counterattack for waza-ari and added another yuko before seeing out the bout.
Her victory confirmed Georgia’s bronze medal despite the team’s difficult start.
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