-48kg: Does an Olympic medal guarantee junior success?
The opening day of competition features the most accomplished judoka in the competition, Sweden’s first Olympic medallist in judo, Tara Babulfath. With 3 IJF World Judo Tour medals this year, Babulfath will be committed to standing atop the world podium for the first time. The top seed, Spain’s junior European champion Aitana Diaz Hernandez will be full of belief that she can challenge for a medal, as will Japan’s 2024 junior world silver medallist Sachiyo Yoshino.
-52kg: Italy takes on the world
Italy will be hoping to relive the final of the 2025 Junior European Championships between teammates Gaia Stella and Ilaria Finestrone. Coming into this event as the number one and three seeds respectively, they will be confident in their bid to secure medals for Italy.
Twice cadet world medallist and number two seed, Nicole Marques from Brazil will be working to translate her success in the junior ranks. Stiff competition will be presented by FISU World University Games silver medallist Hako Fukunaga of Japan and Asian junior champion Sugdiyona Rafkatova from Uzbekistan.
-57kg: Diverse talent presents an open field
Italy’s top seed, junior European champion Michela Terranova, will look to continue the success of the Italian junior team but will have robust resistance from reigning junior world bronze medallist and Pan-American Games champion Bianca Reis (BRA). Lithuania’s 2023 cadet world medallist Varvara Kuchar and India’s current junior Asian champion Shahin Rajakbhai Darjada will be hot in pursuit, looking to bring their respective nations into the medal tally.
-60kg: Each continent provides a real threat to the title
The American duo of Christopher Velazco, and 2024 cadet world champion Jonathan Yang will be determined to carry their success from 2025 so far into a medal-win in Lima. Hot on their heels will be Ecuador’s Pan-American games champion Jhonathan Benavides who will feel comfortable competing in South America. African champion Ahmed Cherifi Alaoui from Morocco and European champion Niham Mamishov (AZE) will look to carry their success from their continent onto the world stage.
Despite the depth in the category, it appears the two strongest challengers will come from Asia. Two-time junior world medallist Talgat Orynbassar (KAZ), and Upper Austria Grand Prix medallist Yusei Adachi (JPN) will have their sights set on gold but will have a big task ahead in fending off experienced.
-66kg: Uzbekistan looks to continue their hot streak
The top seed and Asian junior champion Dilshodbek Hamroyev will hope to continue the success of Uzbekistan’s lightweight men in Lima. Hamroyev will have to fight off a number of top contenders, namely European champion Mahammad Musayev of Azerbaijan and Pan-American Games champion Bruno Nobrega from Brazil. The reigning junior world champion Shuntaro Fukuchi (JPN) will be looking to defend his title in Lima, to round out a broad international spread in the medal hunt.