Three things to look out for in Baku:
One - Perhaps the most striking aspect of the entry list is the presence of 19 Japanese competitors, averaging more than two per weight category. There is a mix of world and Olympic champions, punctuated by some less well decorated judoka, those who are beginning to impress on the World Judo Tour or at the Japanese flagship events.
After her devastating defeat in Paris, Uta Abe, 2021 Olympic champion and 4-time world champion, is back on the tatami, flanked by Natsumi Tsunoda, 2024 Olympic champion, and Mami Umeki, 2015 world champion. World and Olympic medallist Sanshiro Murao is present at -90 kg looking to add to his 6 grand slam titles.
Nagayama was expected to walk away with the Olympic title in France but he was eliminated by shime-waza at the hands of his Spanish opponent early on. He remains in the Japanese A team though and won’t accept anything less than gold in Baku.
Then there’s 20 year old Dota Arai, not yet a grand slam or senior world champion, but he holds two Tokyo medals and a junior world crown and now that his step up is official, he will want to make his mark. Ryuga Tanaka is in a similar position although he did nab gold in Tokyo just 2 months ago so he’ll be aware of his own form and potential in Azerbaijan.
We could name them all but to list the full roster of achievements earned by this team, we would be here all day. Just know that they have arrived in Baku en masse to feel the new rules and to re-assert themselves as the world’s best.
Two - The home team have swamped the entry and seem to be offering a challenge to Japan. However there are two huge names missing, their absence starkly obvious; current Olympic and world champions Hidayat Heydarov and Zelym Kotsoiev. Without the golden pair though, there are still some exciting routes to the podium to focus on, undoubtedly.
Zelim Tckaev will want to hold on to his crown from last year’s home event. He won in Baku in style in 2024 and received a standing ovation from the crowd. Replicating that feeling will be his aim. Yuhei Oino (JPN) may have his work cut out!
Tckaev is joined by junior world number one Vusal Galandarzade (-73 kg). He hasn’t won medals on the World Judo Tour yet but he has been edging closer and closer and winning his first at home would be a big reward for his effort. World number ten, Rashid Mammadaliyev (-73 kg) will also want to climb on the podium having placed 5th last year. He was qualified for the Paris Games but couldn’t go, sharing the category with Heydarov, so he will be looking to establish himself early in the LA cycle. Can Azerbaijan place two athletes on the -73 kg podium?
Three - It is accepted that there is always a lot of changing and shuffling after an Olympic Games. Coaches have new roles, athletes have retired, youngsters are incorporated into the first teams etc.
One such change is that of category. In the last cycle double world champions Daria Bilodid (UKR) and Nikoloz Sherazadishvili (ESP) moved up, the former by two categories and the latter by one. Now at the beginning of a new cycle, more of these fascinating changes are taking place. In Baku, -70 kg world number 5 Elisavet Teltsidou will compete at -78 kg while 2016 Olympic champion Rafaela Silva (BRA) and 2021 world champion Jessica Klimkait both compete at -63 kg, Klimkait for the first time. Their prolific careers at the weight below are a great foundation but new categories always bring surprises and the need for resilient navigation.
World number ten at -48 kg Milica Nikolic (SRB) is fighting at -52 kg in Baku. Olympic and double world medallist at -90 kg, Krisztian Toth (HUN) is entered at -100 kg and 2023 world medallist at -63 kg, Szofi Ozbas, is also fighting up a weight, competing in Baku at -70 kg.
The scrambling of usual categories will make for interesting viewing. Catch it all on JudoTV.com with a premium subscription to keep you up to date with statistics, replays and predictions.