The German judoka was eliminated in her very first contest, by Liliia Nugaeva (RUS), who produced a decisive ippon in golden score with a sharp right-sided o-uchi-gaeshi. It was a flawless counter at the most critical moment, leaving Ballhaus without the opportunity to build momentum.
Nugaeva’s run continued into the semi-finals, where she faced Khorloodoi Bishrelt (UAE). At that stage, the challenge proved one step too far. Bishrelt imposed her rhythm and secured her place in the final.
On the opposite half of the draw, Odette Giuffrida (ITA) had been expected to reach the gold medal contest. The double Olympic medallist and 2024 world champion possessed both the pedigree and the experience to do so. Yet her campaign was halted by Japan’s Kokoro Fujishiro (JPN), who delivered an authoritative performance, allowing the Italian no real opportunity to settle into the contest.
The final therefore saw Bishrelt face Fujishiro for gold. It was a tense and highly tactical affair, difficult to manage and finely balanced throughout. With less than two minutes remaining in normal time, only one penalty had been awarded to each judoka. Both finalists appeared impenetrable, defensive fortresses refusing to yield. As the clock wound down, Bishrelt received a second penalty for passivity and the contest moved into golden score.
After just over a minute of additional time, Fujishiro found the breakthrough. Transitioning swiftly into groundwork, she secured a decisive hold-down to claim the gold medal in commanding fashion.
In the first bronze medal contest, Gabriela Conceicao (BRA) met Giuffrida. Calm and focussed, the Italian controlled the contest from start to finish. A perfectly timed foot sweep earned her a waza-ari, enough to secure victory and add yet another medal to her remarkable collection, her 19th grand slam podium finish.
Meanwhile, Sofia Asvesta (CYP), who had impressed throughout the day with a confident and assertive display, faced Nugaeva with a place on the podium at stake. It was a narrow contest, ultimately decided by a small yuko scored by Nugaeva with a well-executed sasae-tsuri-komi-ashi. That action secured her first medal at grand slam level.
Final (-52 kg)
Bronze Medal Fights (-52 kg)
