The curtain has fallen on the 2025 World Junior Championships in Lima, Peru; four unforgettable days that showcased the future of world judo in all its brilliance. The event concluded with the mixed team competition, a perfect finale that once again captured the essence of unity, spirit and determination, values which define this sport. Europe clinched two of the four podium spots available.
France vs Japan
The gold medal contest between France and Japan delivered everything one could expect from a world championship final: tension, intensity and moments of brilliance. The opening bout between Dayyan Boulemtafes and Ryusei Arakawa was fiercely contested and extended into golden score. Both judoka showed remarkable determination but it was Boulemtafes who broke the deadlock with a perfectly timed o-uchi-gari, circling low and catching Arakawa on his side for a waza-ari. France took the early lead, 1–0.
Next came Teophila Darbes-Takam against Rin Maeda. The Japanese judoka, calm and concentrated, levelled the tie by pinning her opponent for ippon. 1–1. The third contest saw Rayane Ascofare face Haru Shibata in a bout charged with energy. Ascofare appeared to dominate the gripping exchanges and pushed the pace but a costly mistake on the ground allowed Shibata to secure a hold-down for ippon, turning the tide in Japan’s favour. 2–1.
Then came the much-anticipated encounter between Célia Cancan, the newly crowned world champion, and Hikaru Yamaguchi. Cancan looked confident and aggressive but Yamaguchi capitalised on a brief opening, countering for waza-ari before finishing on the ground for ippon. Japan extended their lead to 3–1.
In the last men’s heavyweight contest, Matheo Akiana Mongo took on Gai Hatakeyama. The French judoka began strongly, controlling the grips and forcing two penalties against his opponent, but Hatakeyama showed resilience, scoring a yuko with ura-nage and taking control of the contest. He added two more small scores, the last one just as the gong sounded, to close the contest and seal victory.
With a 4–1 win, Japan claimed yet another junior world mixed team title, demonstrating once more their unmatched ability to rise in decisive moments. France, despite an impressive run and moments of brilliance, fell just short but could take immense pride in a superb performance.
IJF vs Türkiye
The first point went to team IJF, with Atmir Slobirov securing an ippon through a strong hold-down, giving his team the perfect launch. Moments later, Eva Ognivova doubled the lead with another ippon, this time against Ecem Baysug, leaving Türkiye in a difficult position at 0–2.
After a tense golden score contest lasting nearly four minutes, team IJF edged closer to victory as Aleksei Bulgakov battled past Erman Gurgen in a gruelling contest that ended with the Turkish judoka receiving a conclusive third penalty.
Any remaining hope for Türkiye vanished when Sinem Oruc was caught in an armlock by Kristina Konovalova, conceding the final point. With this dominant 4–0 win, IJF representatives clinched the bronze medal.
Now, as the lights of the world championships fade, Lima is not saying goodbye to judo. In just a few days, the world’s elite will return for the inaugural Lima Grand Prix.
Images: IJF / Tamara Kulumbegashvili & Gabriela Sabau. Author: Nicolas Messner
Author: EJU Media