The 2026 Judo World Championships kicked off in Baku on Friday, with Japan’s Hiroshi Koga and Azerbaijan’s Rustam Yusifov securing the opening pair of gold medals. The event began on Thursday with the mixed team competition, but the first individual titles were awarded late Saturday evening.
In the men’s 100kg division, 27-year-old Koga defeated France’s Loris Evano with an ippon score of 39 seconds into the final. In the -52kg category, 21-year-old Yusifov earned a waza-ari victory over France’s Jean-Kilian Mbango Elanga. Both athletes hailed from nations making their debut as host and champion, marking significant milestones for their respective countries.
Japan, the most successful nation in judo history with 120 world titles, remains a dominant force at the championships. Yusifov, a recent continental bronze medalist, secured his nation’s third gold of the 2026 competition.
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev praised both athletes on social media, noting their exceptional performance on the global stage. “I congratulate you on winning the gold medals at the World Judo Championships. I wish you further success in future tournaments,” he wrote. “We are proud that our athletes showed high sportsmanship, strength, and will to victory.”
The Baku event continues through October 4, with additional weight categories scheduled for competition over the weekend.
The mixed team event already set the tone. Seeing individual golds so quickly makes this championship very exciting to watch.
Does anyone know if there were any injuries during the matches? The waza-ari win for Yusifov seemed a bit tighter than expected.
Japan’s dominance continues to be impressive with 120 titles already. Koga’s performance shows they aren’t slowing down anytime soon.
Azerbaijan hosting and winning gold on home soil is huge for them. Baku really came alive with that victory.
Wow, 39 seconds for an ippon? That is incredibly fast. Koga must have been ready from the opening bell.