–48 kg: Costa Leads the Field
Portugal’s Catarina Costa remains one of the most consistent athletes on the World Judo Tour and will enter the competition as the number one seed. A European silver medallist this season and World Masters finalist in 2023, Costa will aim to take her colours to the top once again. Maria Celia Laborde (USA), a World Masters finalist herself, could well challenge Costa’s dominance, while Germany’s Sarah Ischt remains a serious contender. Chile’s Mary Dee Vargas Ley, who impressed in Qingdao a few weeks ago when she won the silver medal, will also be one to watch, eager to confirm her place among the leading athletes in the category.
–60 kg: Augusto the Man to Beat
Top seed Michel Augusto (BRA) arrives in Lima with strong credentials. After taking bronze at the Upper Austria Grand Prix, silver at the Tbilisi Grand Slam and gold at the Pan America and Oceania Championships in Chile, he narrowly missed the podium at the World Championships in Budapest. Jorre Verstraeten (BEL), third in Baku earlier this year, will be chasing a return to form, while Dilshot Khalmatov (UKR) and Ahmad Yusifov (AZE) also feature among the main seeds. Other names to watch include Vincent Limare (FRA), a former Masters finalist with five World Judo Tour medals to his name, and Jonathan Yang (USA) who steps onto the senior stage after winning his first junior world medal just a few days ago.
–52 kg: Leiva Sanchez in Pursuit of Consistency
Every time she has competed on the World Judo Tour this year, Spain’s Ayumi Leiva Sanchez has reached the podium: third in Paris and Baku, second in Tashkent and Kazakhstan. Although she fell short of the medals at the European and world championships, she remains the number one seed in Lima, a strong favourite to reach the podium again. Israel’s Gefen Primo, a 17-time World Judo Tour medallist with multiple grand slam and grand prix titles, will bring both experience and determination. Canada’s Evelyn Beaton and Brazil’s Jessica Pereira will also enter the fray as serious podium contenders.
–66 kg: A Division of Opportunity
Top seed Ronald Lima (BRA) will enjoy a first-round bye before meeting either Chile’s Lucas Fernandez or Ecuador’s Lenin Preciado. Azerbaijan fields two major contenders in Ruslan Pashayev, Paris Grand Slam winner, and Rashad Yelkiyev, who is still searching for his first World Tour medal, despite several close calls. Finland’s Luukas Saha, the surprise bronze medallist at the 2024 World Championships, will look to continue his rise, while David Garcia Torne (ESP), Guy Gutman (ISR) and Mykyta Holoborodko (UKR) could all disrupt the expected order.
–57 kg: Nascimento Leads the Charge
After claiming bronze at the 2025 Budapest World Championships, Brazil’s Shirlen Nascimento heads to Lima as the clear favourite in the -57 kg category. She may face her compatriot Jessica Lima, a five-time grand slam medallist, in what could be a thrilling semi-final. France’s Faiza Mokdar, already a two-time grand slam champion including in Paris, will look to challenge the Brazilians, while Israel’s Timna Nelson Levy, known for her ferocity and determination, remains a dangerous contender.
The first day of competition at the Lima Grand Prix 2025 begins at 10:00 local time, with the final block scheduled for 17:00.
Stay tuned and follow all the action live on JudoTV.