In the -52kg category, there is a host of Olympic, World and European Champions, all in the top four seeds. However only one is defending her 2024 title and is fighting to keep hold of her red back patch: Odette GIUFFRIDA (ITA).
After eight attempts at a senior world title, it had finally come home to Giuffrida who emotionally dedicated the award to her family. She demonstrated her champion persona and dedication to the sport, then in the Olympic Games, the two-time medallist missed out and placed 5th. Though even in defeat, Giuffrida once again proved that she has the champion heart in an emotional exchange once the contest concluded. More recently she battled through to the European Championship final, but was defeated by Olympic silver medallist in this category, Distria KRASNIQI (KOS).
Incredibly, -48kg Olympic Champion and -52kg Olympic silver medallist, three-time European Champion, Krasniqi has yet to stand on top of the World Championship podium and is looking to complete her collection of major titles in Hungary this year. It was a tough start to the year where she found herself again on the tatami, just in time to secure the title in Podgorica and was feeling much more confident in herself, but can that confidence bring about gold? One thing she may be looking forward to is a potential head to head with ABE Uta (JPN) who returned in Baku this year following a surprise early exit in the Olympic Games.
It threw Krasniqi off her game a little, not facing Abe after preparing so hard in the build up, admitting afterwards that she was in fact having opposite feelings to her team and rivals as they watched Diroya KELDIYOROVA (UZB) take the win in Paris, but in Budapest, she may get the match up she desires!
The top seed of the -52kg category, Amandine BUCHARD (FRA) is another without a world title which seems mind-blowing considering her countless accolades in other major championships, similar to that of Giuffrida and Krasniqi. Instead it has been a slew of five bronze medals, certainly not to be knocked considering the strong competition of this weight, and though she leads, there are many chasing.
Right behind Buchard in fact is Mascha BALLHAUS (GER), last years bronze medallist and most recently the winner of the Qazaqstan Grand Slam. In the 2021 edition of the World Championships held in Budapest, Gefen PRIMO (ISR) won bronze, and she will be the only one returning from that podium in 2025.
Completing the top eight is one half of the Spanish entry, Ayumi LEIVA SANCHEZ. Her first result on the IJF World Judo Tour was her first representing Spain, a bronze in the Antalya Grand Slam, and since then she has gone on to collect a further five medals at that level as well as an U23 European title. This year alone she took bronze medals in Paris and Baku, then silver medals in Tashkent and Qazaqstan. As we said, this is only one half, Ariane TORO SOLER makes up team Spain in this category. Toro secured a Grand Slam title in Tbilisi in 2024 but this year has shown consistency with podium positions, including a bronze at the Senior European Championships.
A huge focus will be on Team Hungary, with one of their biggest medal hopes being PUPP Reka. It would definitely be perfect timing for Pupp to pull a result out of the bag given in the past two years she just missed out and settled for fifth. Perhaps this time in front of a home crowd she can give a final push to the podium! Only a few spots behind in the world ranking list is GYERTYAS Roza, and she has had a steady climb in to her senior career, most recently placing fifth in the European Championships.
Judoka
Author: Thea Cowen