Highlights From the Women’s Preliminaries - Day 1

2025 world champion Assunta Scutto (ITA) has had a very tough time since winning the worlds last year but in Lima this summer she found a new rhythm and won her first World Judo Tour event for quite some time. Scutto was back on track and the evidence of that could be found way beyond Peru’s borders. In Azerbaijan, she took out the top seed first and then toppled them all, one by one, to reach the final… again!

With top seed Hui (CHN) out of the way, perhaps her compatriot, Wenna Zhuang could take up the mantle, but that wasn’t to be either. Marina Vorobeva (RUS) saw to it that neither Chinese athlete would reach the final block, throwing Zhuang with uchi-mata in golden score in the round of 16. From two seeded athletes, China was having a very difficult day.

Vorobeva went on to dispatch fan-favourite Shirine Boukli (FRA) in their quarter-final, surprising the French judoka with a challenging, tactical fight that ended with only penalties separating them. Boukli would not have an easy bronze medal contest, despite her own impressive CV, as 2024 world champion Baasaknhuu Bavuudorj (MGL) awaited her in the final block.

Now, let’s talk about Wakana Koga (JPN). The three-time world medallist has never taken the senior world title despite many close calls. She wants this gold medal and is back for another shot at it. She cut through the field with unshakeable confidence, a throwing machine with the back-up of superb ne-waza, when needed. Koga reached the final with great satisfaction to set up a liaison with the owner of the current red back patch, Scutto. This was going to be electric!

Before we move on to the final block and the all-important medal contests, we must make a special mention of Merve Azak (TUR). She was cadet world champion in 2019 but has not managed to medal on the World Judo Tour in the seven years since, not for want of trying. In Baku she showed that she is more than capable and in the years to come, her name might become more well known.

Azak came from a yuko behind to throw and then hold three-time world medallist Abiba Abuzhakynova (KAZ) before throwing Eva Perez Soler (ESP) for ippon to reach the round of 16. There she drew Scutto and couldn’t surpass that challenge, but this was a great indication of things to come.

The name of the 2026 -48 kg world champion will be known very soon. Stay up to date with all of the final block action by tuning in to JudoTV from 6pm local time. We can’t wait!