What an incredibly exciting opening day we’ve had in the World Judo Championships 2025! In the men’s -60kg category, host athletes sending out the top seeds, World Champions and Olympic medallists, and in the women’s -48kg we saw the dominance of the top four, their rivals unable to supercede.
There is a guaranteed medal for Team Europe in the -48kg category, was we watched two titans go head to head for a place in the final. Assunta SCUTTO (ITA) took a silver medal in last years World Championships and has been on form throughout the day, which she continued in her semi final against European Champion and Olympic medallist, Shirine BOUKLI (FRA). After exactly one minute of contest time, Scutto executed a perfect ippon seoi nage for another chance at a world gold.
In Scutto’s first two senior World Championships, she accomplished well deserved bronze medals, and now she will confirm her status with a fourth consecutive world medal. Contributing to the conclusion of silver or gold is Abiba ABUZHAKYNOVA (KAZ) who took a bronze in Abu Dhabi 2024. Abuzhakynova defeated Laura ABELENDA MARTINEZ (ESP) who will now take on Sabina GILIAZOVA (IJF) for bronze and Boukli will go on to face KOGA Wakana (JPN) for the second bronze medal.
Team France lost their double Olympic medallist and this years Tbilisi Grand Slam winner, Luka MKHEIDZE at the hands of Hungary’s FECZKO Csanad prior to the quarter final, however, their Paris Grand Slam winner and LA Games potential, Romain VALADIER PICARD pulled through, avenging his team mate to defeat Feczko for a place in the semi final. Valadier Picard faced a somewhat exhausted Ayub BLIEV (IJF) in the first of the men’s semi finals, following a golden score quarter final battle against KAZIRBYEK Yolk (MGL).
As we could have assumed, it was an exciting contest, but in the end, it was Valadier Picard who will compete for the gold medal and world title, countering an uchi mata attempt by Bliev with some swift ashi waza to score waza ari. The French athlete carried the score until the clock ran out. Since the establishment of the -60kg category in 1979 World Championships, France have only topped the podium once, with Thierry REY becoming gold medallist in that debut year, so after 46 years it would be an incredible achievement for this young athlete.
On the other side of the draw, a Asia-Panamerican semi final battle between two-time World bronze medallist NAGAYAMA Ryuju (JPN) and Brazil’s Michel AUGUSTO ensued, with Nagayama finally taking his place in a senior World final.
In the repechage, home nation hero, ANDRASI Marton (HUN) continued to impress his supporters, defeating Magzhan SHAMSHADIN (KAZ) in the final seconds with a huge kata guruma movement. His success in this round will see him face Bliev for bronze.
Judoka
Author: Thea Cowen