Lee Claims World Gold as Tasoev Secures His Third World Title in Baku
Hyeonji Lee and Inal Tasoev claimed gold medals in their respective weight classes at the World Judo Championships in Baku. The event concluded with a ceremony passing the hosting duties to Astana for 2027.
Why it matters
These victories highlight the current elite performers in international judo and mark the transition to the next cycle of world championships.
Today closes out the individual competition at the Baku World Judo Championships and it's time for the heavyweights to take centre stage in Azerbaijan.
Before the finals, the traditional flag-passing ceremony was held to commemorate the closing of the event, as Azerbaijan passed the IJF flag to Kazakhstan - with Astana set to host the World Championships in 2027.
At +78kg , 19 year old Hyeonji LEE was on fire enroute to the final, with ippon in every contest. With a World bronze from last year, she would be feeling confident that this was her moment to claim the red backpatch.
Facing her was Romane DICKO, a former World Champion and no stranger to the podium. DICKO would be looking to regain the mantle and become a two time World Champion. Displaying a groundwork masterclass today, could she repeat her former success?
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