Baku’s 'Meet and Greet'
Throughout the eight days of competition at the National Gymnastics Arena, local organisers of the Baku ...
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Baku 2026: Fourteen World Champions, a Thousand Stories and One Shared Passion
After seven days of individual competition, and with the mixed team tournament now under way, the verdict ...
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Lee and Tasoev Lead the Final Day of Individual Judo
After seven days of individual competition, the final world titles have been awarded in Baku. Hyeonji ...
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+100 kg: Tasoev’s Third Title
On a day dominated by the unshakable Inal Tasoev, the real question may well have been, who would win ...
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+78 kg: At 19, Hyeonji Lee Has World Titles at All Levels
With Olympic and world champions peppering the draw, finding a nineteen year old in the final was a surpsie ...
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A Moment of Respect as the World Championships Responsibility Moves to Kazakhstan
On the last day of individual competition in the National Gymnastics Arena in Baku, a dedicated ceremony ...
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Highlights From the Men’s Preliminaries - Day 7
There was so much great judo to enjoy on this last day of the men’s competition. Big names, big throws ...
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Highlights From the Women’s Preliminaries - Day 7
The spectators inside the National Gymnastics Arena were treated to throws, strong ne-waza and some incredible ...
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Habib Sissoko Awarded 8th Dan in Recognition of a Lifetime in Judo
On the sidelines of the Baku 2026 World Judo Championships, Habib Sissoko was awarded his 8th dan. IJF ...
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Tato, Just Tato
How many judoka can you name who have fought in six world championship finals in a row? What if the judoka ...
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Preview +100 kg: One Last Battle for World Gold
For the final day of competition, attention turns to the heavyweights and there is plenty to discuss, ...
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Preview +78 kg: One Last Chance for Women’s World Gold
Israel has already won a silver medal at -63 kg with Kerem Primo (ISR). She was not among the favourites, ...
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History Made for UAE and a New World Champion for Georgia
Baku’s National Gymnastics Arena provided the stage for history to be made as Yelyzaveta Lytvynenko ...
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-100 kg: Sulamanidze is Overjoyed by His New World Title
Despite seeding and form, there were numerous serious contenders for the title on day six in the National ...
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-78 kg: Unstoppable Lytvynenko Makes History for UAE
Seeding, form and moments of magic convened in the -78 kg category to produce a thrilling day of judo ...
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Highlights From the Women’s Preliminaries - Day 6
Anna Monta Olek began the day as the athlete with a target on her back. As the top seed she arrived with ...
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Highlights From the Men’s Preliminaries - Day 6
The -100 kg category, with 56 athletes, is the biggest category in Baku this week. Olympic and world ...
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Judo Is for Everyone: Inclusion Takes Centre Stage in Baku
A new chapter of inclusive judo opened at the Baku World Championships, right at the heart of the arena.
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Rashid Mammadaliyev: Advice and Feedback Make the Difference
Twenty-six year old Rashid Mammadaliyev has worked hard to build a career while having to manage being ...
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Klaus Glahn: Judo Builds Friendships and Personality
Judo is a very special sport in many ways but among its most endearing aspects is the permanent effort ...
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Beyond the Medal: Judo’s Principles at the Heart of Competition
At world championships, naturally, the focus is on sporting performance. The draw, the contests, the ...
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Back Where It All Changed: Saeid Mollaei Returns to Baku
Eight years ago, the National Gymnastics Arena was the stage for the finest day of Saeid Mollaei’s ...
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Tsunoda’s Complete Collection and Murao’s Masterclass
The fifth day of the Baku 2026 World Judo Championships delivered two champions whose paths to gold carried ...
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-70 kg: Ai Tsunoda Roustant Has Her First Senior World Title
In an almost exclusively European final block, Nauana Silva the only representative from another continent, ...
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-90 kg: Murao the Maestro
The -90 kg category had everything a great blockbuster needs: drama, rivalries, young blood on the up, ...
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Preview -100 kg: The Most Unpredictable Battle of All
With 56 competitors, the -100 kg category is the largest of these world championships. It is packed with ...
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Preview -78 kg: An Exceptional Field Awaits
A world championships always brings together the very best, and the -78 kg category is no exception. ...
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Highlights From the Men’s Preliminaries - Day 5
Thirty-eight seconds! Thirty-eight seconds is the time it took for Sanshiro Murao (JPN) to show the world ...
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Highlights From the Women’s Preliminaries - Day 5
At the top of the contest sheet, Lara Cvjetko (CRO, already a double world silver medallist, was poised ...
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Judo Meets Azerbaijan’s Woven Heritage
The Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum has opened an exhibition entitled Woven into History, dedicated ...
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Baku 2026: Intensity, Passion and a Global Contest
At the halfway point of the 2026 World Judo Championships, one observation stands out above all others: ...
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Haruka Kaju, Undefeated
Since arriving on the World Judo Tour less than two years ago, Haruka Kaju, now 26, has fought in forty ...
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Grigalashvili and Kaju Confirm Their Greatness
The Baku World Championships reached the halfway mark at the end of day four with two major champions ...
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-81 kg: Tato is Back on the Top Tier
It could not be a more perfect end to this fourth day of competition to have a host nation athlete pitted ...
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-63 kg: Kaju Claims Second World Crown
Kerem Primo (ISR) had an absolutely outstanding morning session in Baku. With two World Judo Tour medals ...
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Preview -90 kg: Murao’s the Man to Beat
As the heavier categories enter the World Championships, the pressure will increase in Baku. At -90 kg, ...
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Preview -70 kg: A World Title Within Reach
World number one Lara Cvjetko (CRO) arrives in Baku with one clear mission: to become world champion. ...
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Highlights From the Men’s Preliminaries - Day 4
What an incredible day it has been so far! The -81 kg preliminary session has sent gasps around the National ...
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Highlights From the Women’s Preliminaries - Day 4
Let’s begin with moments of fantastic judo that came from those who didn’t make it to the final block. ...
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IJF and FIDE Presidents Meet in Baku
On the margins of the 2026 Baku World Championships, International Judo Federation President Mr Marius ...
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Catching the Win Against the Run of Play
We say it often that judo is a sport of instants, moments as much as consistency. The most prepared, ...
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Nadia Comăneci Sends a Message to the Judo World in Baku
Nadia Comăneci is one of the greatest legends in the history of gymnastics and world sport. The Romanian ...
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Takeshi Takeoka: Ready to Keep Improving
Takeshi Takeoka is among the most exciting judoka on the World Judo Tour. Spectators are thrilled by ...
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-73 kg: Tanaka Stays Composed and Throws for Gold
A huge number of contenders had their eyes on the gold medal at the beginning of the day. Despite the ...
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A Day of Debutants and Emotion in Baku
Following a day of celebration on day 2 was always going to be a tall order but judo does what judo does ...
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-57 kg: Omori Takes an Incredible Win in Ne-Waza
Eteri Lipartelini arrived in the Azerbaijani capital with her red back patch and intended to leave the ...
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Preview -81 kg: A Wide-Open Category
On the fourth day of competition, much of the attention will be on François Gauthier-Drapeau (CAN), ...
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Preview -63 kg: Can Anyone Stop Kaju?
It is simple: Haruka Kaju (JPN) is a metronome. Since her first international appearance, at home at ...
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The IJF and CBH Renew Their Partnership in Baku
Ahead of the final block of competition on day three of the 2026 Baku World Championships, the International ...
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Highlights From the Women’s Preliminaries - Day 3
Let’s begin with the sensational Eteri Liparteliani. Georgia’s heroine arrived in Baku with her red ...
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Highlights From the Men’s Preliminaries - Day 3
The -73 kg category delivered so many topics to inspire conversation during the morning session of the ...
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Ariane Toro Soler: It's All About Family
Ariane Toro Soler (ESP) is walking a route through her judo career that is paved with the knowledge and ...
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Olivier Desroses: Effort, Excellence and Education
Among the referees of the World Judo Tour is the familiar face of Olivier Desroses. The 2026 World Championships, ...
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Jo Langer: Fifty Years of Judo Stories
When you meet someone like Josef ‘Jo’ Langer, prepare to take your time. The Austrian journalist ...
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A Day of Celebration and a Remarkable Double
The second day of the Baku World Championships 2026 brought together two powerful expressions of judo: ...
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-66 kg: Hifumi Abe Does it Again!
There was no telling if the mirror held up to the two categories of the second day would yield a reflection ...
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-52 kg: Abe has a 6th Gold While Toro Soler Gives Everything for Her First World Medal
Ariane Toro Soler placed 5th at the 2025 edition of the world judo championships, a career best result ...
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Unity, Friendship and Peace: A Celebration of Judo, Culture and Azerbaijan
The Baku World Championships 2026 opened with an official ceremony bringing together sport, culture and ...
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Preview -73 kg: Depth, Experience and Host Nation Hope
Muhiddin Asadulloev (TJK) has shown exceptional consistency throughout the season. Third at the Paris ...
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Preview -57 kg: A Champion to Challenge
Irresistible in Budapest last year, where she claimed Georgia’s first women’s world title, Eteri ...
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Highlights From the Men’s Preliminaries - Day 2
Let’s begin with realism! Most of the judo world knew that the semi-final between double Olympic and ...
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Highlights From the Women’s Preliminaries - Day 2
Still reeling from the first day of the Baku World Judo Championships 2026, day 2 arrived and began with ...
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The Mind Dojo: A Place to Breathe in the Heart of the Competition
At a World Judo Tour event, and even more so at a world championships, one of the first impressions is ...
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Sardalashvili - on the Podium Again
Giorgi Sardalashvili began his international career at the junior level, winning a world title in 2021 ...
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Wakana Koga: Always Aiming to Improve
Wakana Koga was unstoppable at the Baku World Championships 2026. She sliced through the category with ...
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A Golden Opening for Azerbaijan and Japan
The Baku 2026 World Championships began with an extraordinary atmosphere, a packed arena and an opening ...
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-60 kg: Ahmad Yusifov is Azerbaijan’s New Hero
In a category which included several world and Olympic medallists, the eventual finalists came as a surprise ...
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-48 kg: Wakana Koga’s Fourth World Championship Medal is Gold
Six names, 5 countries, 2 continents; just some of the statistics from the first weight category of the ...
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Preview -66 kg: A Category Built for Champions
He is both world number one and the reigning world champion. That alone makes Takeshi Takeoka the outstanding ...
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Preview -52 kg: Who Can Challenge Queen Abe?
The leading contenders will be headed by an experienced Odette Giuffrida (ITA). A double Olympic medallist ...
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Highlights From the Men’s Preliminaries - Day 1
There was no shortage of anticipation as the opening contests commenced on day one of the Baku World ...
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Behind the Scenes: Global Media
With an hour to go until the first contests of the Baku World Judo Championships 2026, media representatives ...
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Preview -48 kg: A Wide-Open Race for the Title
As world number one, Xinran Hui (CHN) has already demonstrated that she belongs among the very best. ...
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Preview -60 kg: A Strong Start for the Host Nation
The host nation begins strongly with an immediate contender for the world title in Balabay Aghayev (AZE), ...
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The Draw is Done! The Baku World Championships is Only Hours Away...
The 2026 World Judo Championships is about to begin and the fervour around Azerbaijan’s host city, ...
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President Ilham Aliyev Welcomes President of the International Judo Federation
On 3rd October, Republic of Azerbaijan President His Excellence Ilham Aliyev received the President of ...
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IJF Executive Committee Sets a Course Ahead of Baku 2026
On the eve of the most important draw of the season, that of the Baku World Judo Championships 2026, ...
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Baku World Championships 2026: Ticket Sales Open!
The road to the Baku World Senior Championships 2026 has officially begun with the launch of the event's ...
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