Semi-Finals
France vs Türkiye
It was always going to be a tough challenge for Türkiye against a French team renowned for its strength and cohesion in the mixed team format. While the final score of 4–1 in favour of France might suggest a straightforward victory, the Turkish judoka fought with determination throughout. Emma Melis opened the scoring with an ippon win, followed by Dayyan Boulemtafes and Teophila Darbes-Takam, both adding points in convincing fashion. Erman Gurgen gave Türkiye a glimmer of hope, defeating Rayane Ascofare in a dynamic bout that saw both athletes score but the Frenchman ultimately falter under pressure. However, it was once again Celia Cancan, France’s newly crowned +78 kg world champion, who sealed the deal with a decisive ippon, sending her team into yet another world final, this time, unsurprisingly, against Japan.
Japan vs Brazil
Brazil entered the semi-final with confidence and a genuine belief that they could challenge Japan’s dominance. However, from the very first contest, it became clear that the Japanese team was in no mood to be unsettled. Mio Shirakane set the tone with a first victory, followed in quick succession by wins from Ryusei Arakawa, Rin Maeda and Haru Shibata. Four contests, four points, Japan left no room for doubt. The defending champions once again demonstrated their depth, precision and team unity, confirming their place in the final and reinforcing their status as the benchmark in world junior mixed team judo.
Repechage
Kazakhstan vs Uzbekistan
In this Central Asian repechage clash, it was Uzbekistan who took control, claiming a convincing 4–1 victory. The match began well for Kazakhstan though, as Dana Abdirova opened the scoring with a solid win over Sugdiyona Rafkatova. However, the momentum quickly shifted as Uzbekistan found their rhythm. Muhriddin Marufov levelled the score with an ippon win against Omar Nurbergenov, followed by victories from Khurshida Razzokberdieva over Korkem Orymbek, Alisher Samanov against Daniil Krylov, and finally Umida Nigmatova, the reigning +70 kg cadet world champion and silver medallist here in Lima, who sealed the tie by defeating Anastassiya Nagachevskaya. It was a commanding performance that kept Uzbekistan’s hopes of a team podium finish alive.
IJF vs Germany
The second repechage match ended with the same scoreline as the other, a 4–1 victory for team IJF, though the path to that result unfolded slightly differently. The IJF squad took control of the contest quickly, opening with three consecutive wins, from Evelina Bosiek, Iaroslav Bunakov and Eva Ognivova. Germany managed to pull one point back thanks to Paul Friedrichs who defeated Maksim Gordeiko by waza-ari. However, Kristina Konovalova secured the decisive win for team IJF, logging two yuko scores to close the match and send her team through to the bronze medal contest.