Today’s two defending world champions from Tashkent, Rafaela Silva (BRA) and Tsogtbaatar Tsend-Ochir, both exited the competition in the early rounds. Silva was knocked out in her first contest by 22-year-old Hazret Bozturk (TUR), currently ranked 61 in the world, who went on to claim an admirable 5th place. Tsend-Ochir’s title defence was stopped in round 3 by Ressaoud Medouane Dris (ALG), who finished the day in 7th place; both giant slayers achieved a career best result.
History was made in the -73kg category, as Nils Stump became the first ever Swiss judoka to win a world title. He crushed the opposition en route to the final with a plethora of strong and often rare techniques. He defeated former junior world champion Manuel Lombardo in said final; an exciting contest brought to a premature end as the Italian threw Stump but unfortunately landed head-first on the mat, resulting in his disqualification. Lombardo had to settle for a second world silver medal.
The bronze medals in the category went to Murodjon Yuldoshev (UZB) and former world champion Soichi Hashimoto (JPN), their first and fifth world medals, respectively.
At -57kg it was Christa Deguchi (CAN) who rose to claim world gold in Doha, a summit she last reached in Tokyo in 2019. The Canadian was a class above the rest, winning all her contests by ippon, among them several ‘grab-and-go’ throws which caught her opponents unawares. Haruka Funakubo (JPN), her adversary in the final, was on the end of two such throws, and she took home silver for the second year running.
The bronze medals were won by Jessica Klimkait, a compatriot of Deguchi, and Enkhriilen Lkhagvatogoo (MGL); these were the second bronze medals in as many years for both athletes. With Team Canada using the World Championships to decide their Olympic candidate, Deguchi looks set to be selected for Paris 2024, after agonisingly losing out to Klimkait for Tokyo.
Despite Japan failing to take any more gold medals on the third day of competition, they remain well ahead of the pack but it is all-change behind them. With Deguchi and Klimkait on the podium, Canada leapfrog into 2nd place ahead of Spain and Switzerland who now share the 3rd place position.
Day 4 promises yet more excitement and more history-making, as the athletes in arguably the two most competitive weight categories, -63kg and -81kg, take to the tatami at the ABHA Arena in search of glory. Don’t miss a single score; watch all the action live from 10:30 local time on judotv.com.