Italy’s Olympic champion Alice Bellandi lived up to expectations by capturing the women’s 78kg gold medal in a gripping final on the sixth day of the World Judo Championships in Budapest on Wednesday.
Bellandi faced off against 22-year-old German newcomer Anna Monta Olek in a tense battle that saw no positive scores during regulation time. The match ended tied at 2-2, with both judokas having received two penalties each. The outcome was decided in a dramatic golden score period, where Bellandi executed a decisive counter nearly six minutes in, earning a yuko and sealing the victory.
“In my mind, every time, what I saw was ‘Olympic champion is out, world champion is out’. This was a challenge for me. But aside from this, you just need to be happy in what you’re doing, and the rest is just a bonus,” Bellandi said after her win.
Bellandi remains the only 2024 Olympic or world champion to have secured gold at this year’s championships so far.
The bronze medals in the women’s 78kg category were claimed by Japan’s Kurena Ikeda and Portugal’s Patricia Sampaio. Ma Zhenzhao of China and Metka Lobnik of Slovenia finished just outside the podium in fifth place.
Japan continues to dominate the medal standings with six golds, three silvers, and four bronzes after six days of competition. The tournament’s heavyweight events are scheduled to take place next at the Papp Laszlo Arena in Hungary’s capital.
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