Lee Claims World Gold as Tasoev Secures His Third World Title in Baku

Lee and Tasoev Take Heavyweight Gold at World Judo Championships in Baku

Poinews.com – The individual programme at the World Judo Championships in Baku concluded with the heavyweight divisions delivering two defining performances. South Korea’s 19-year-old Hyeonji Lee won the women’s +78kg title, while Inal Tasoev claimed his third world crown in the men’s +100kg category.

The final day also marked an important transition for the championships. During a flag-passing ceremony before the medal rounds, Azerbaijan formally handed the International Judo Federation flag to Kazakhstan. Astana is due to stage the World Judo Championships in 2027.

Lee completes a breakthrough day

Lee entered the women’s heavyweight competition with momentum and left Baku with the most significant result of her career. Having earned a world bronze medal the previous year, she advanced through the draw with an ippon in each of her contests, building a compelling case for the title before reaching the final.

Her opponent, Romane Dicko of France, brought considerable experience to the decisive contest. A former world champion, Dicko was seeking to regain the title and become a two-time world champion. Her work on the ground had been a notable feature of her day, making the final a meeting between a rising challenger and an established force in the division.

Lee maintained her control when it mattered most. She scored waza-ari against Dicko and converted the advantage into a hold-down, securing the victory and the world title. The result gives Lee the red backpatch reserved for the reigning world champion for the coming year.

At 19, Lee’s victory adds a major senior championship to a résumé that already included last year’s bronze. Her run through the competition was defined by decisive finishes, and the final showed both the attacking intent and composure needed to close out a title match against a former champion.

International Olympic Committee member Yael Arad presented the medals in the women’s +78kg category.

Tasoev retains command of the men’s heavyweight division

The men’s +100kg final placed reigning double world champion Tasoev against Azerbaijan’s Ushangi Kokauri, with the home crowd fully behind its representative. Kokauri had the opportunity to turn that support into the biggest result of his career, while Tasoev arrived in Baku aiming to add another title to his collection.

Tasoev’s route to the final had been marked by power and control. As the defending champion, he carried the expectation that comes with holding two world titles, but his performances throughout the day kept him in contention for a third.

In the final, Tasoev produced an ippon to defeat Kokauri and secure world gold once again. The score ended the contest in decisive fashion and confirmed his third world title in the +100kg class.

For Kokauri, competing on home tatami added a distinctive atmosphere to the final. Every reaction from the stands increased the stakes of the contest, reflecting the prospect of a home victory in one of judo’s most high-profile weight categories. Tasoev, however, delivered the decisive technique to deny the host nation’s heavyweight contender.

The Russian heavyweight will now keep the red backpatch for another season. A third world title reinforces his position at the top of the division and leaves him as the competitor others will seek to challenge in future major events.

Azerbaijan’s Minister of Youth and Sport, Farid Gayibov, awarded the medals in the men’s +100kg category.

Individual competition gives way to team event

Heavyweight day traditionally brings the individual portion of a world championships to a close, with the largest divisions often carrying both tactical tension and the possibility of a single decisive score. In Baku, the final sessions produced precisely that contrast: Lee prevailed through a waza-ari followed by a hold-down, while Tasoev ended his final with ippon.

The results also illustrate the different paths to a world title. Lee’s success represents a landmark moment for a young athlete who had already reached the podium but had not yet won the championship. Tasoev’s gold, by comparison, extends an established record at the summit of his weight class.

Attention in Baku now turns to the mixed team competition, which begins the following day. The format brings together athletes from several weight categories and shifts the focus from individual achievement to national squads, providing the final competition stage of the championships.