Judo: Bellandi’s Historic Tripletta Secures Italy’s First-Ever World Championship Gold
Alice Bellandi didn’t just win a judo World Championship — she rewrote the record books for Italian sport. On May 12, 2024, in Abu Dhabi, the 25-year-old judoka captured her third consecutive World Championship title in the women’s -78kg division, becoming the first Italian woman ever to win gold at the IJF World Judo Championships and the first athlete in Italian judo history to achieve a tripletta.
The victory, secured with a decisive ippon over France’s Madeleine Malonga in the final, capped a dominant tournament run in which Bellandi scored four ippons and won all five of her matches by decisive margins. Her performance not only ended a 60-year drought for Italian women in world judo gold but likewise positioned her as the sport’s newest standard-bearer on the global stage.
“This isn’t just about me,” Bellandi said in the mixed zone after the final, her voice steady despite the emotion. “It’s for every young girl in Italy who’s ever stepped onto a tatami and been told judo isn’t for them. We showed them It’s.”
Why This Victory Matters: Breaking Generational Barriers
Before Bellandi’s triumph, Italy’s best showing at the World Judo Championships had been a silver medal won by Ezio Gamba in 1980 — a mark that stood for over four decades. No Italian woman had ever stood atop the podium at the World Championships, despite consistent participation since the 1980s. Bellandi’s tripletta changes that narrative irrevocably.
Her win also makes her only the seventh woman in judo history to win three consecutive World Championship titles in the same weight class, joining legends like Ryoko Tani (Japan) and Clarisse Agbegnenou (France). Notably, Bellandi achieved this feat without the benefit of home-court advantage or extensive international funding — a testament to her resilience and the quiet growth of judo in Italy.
According to data from the International Judo Federation (IJF), Bellandi’s victory pushed Italy to 18th in the women’s world ranking for -78kg, up from 32nd just two years prior — a direct reflection of her sustained excellence.
Tournament Path: Dominance From Start to Finish
Bellandi’s road to gold in Abu Dhabi was marked by technical precision and relentless pressure. In her opening match, she defeated Mongolia’s Otgonbayar Khuslen with a sumi-otoshi ippon at 1:12. She followed that with a kesa-gatame pin against Germany’s Anna-Maria Wagner, a former world champion, in just 2:03.
In the quarterfinals, she faced Brazil’s Alana Castillo, a Pan American Games medalist and secured victory with an o-soto-gari transition into juji-gatame at 1:45. The semifinal against South Korea’s Yoon Hyun-ji proved the toughest test — a grippy, defensive battle that Bellandi broke with a rare tomoe-nage counter at 3:58, earning a waza-ari that held up under review.
The final against Malonga, a two-time Olympic medalist and 2022 World Champion, was a clash of styles. Bellandi used her superior grip fighting to control the pace, eventually catching Malonga’s lapel with a sharp sasae-tsurikomi-ashi that led directly into ippon at 2:17. The score was confirmed after video review, triggering an eruption from the small but vocal Italian contingent in the Abu Dhabi Judo Club arena.
The Ezio Gamba Connection: Legacy and Inspiration
Bellandi’s victory invited inevitable comparisons to Ezio Gamba, the Brescia-born judoka who won Italy’s only previous World Championship medal — a silver in the -80kg division at the 1980 Maastricht Games. Gamba, now 66 and a respected coach, attended the final in Abu Dhabi as a guest of the Italian Judo Federation (FIJLKAM).
After the match, Bellandi embraced Gamba on the tatami, a moment captured by IJF broadcast cameras and widely shared on social media. “He told me before the match: ‘Don’t fight for the medal. Fight for the feeling,’” Bellandi recalled. “That’s what I did.”
Gamba’s presence underscored the generational shift in Italian judo. While his era was defined by individual brilliance amid limited resources, Bellandi’s success reflects a more structured approach — supported by FIJLKAM’s recent investment in high-performance coaching, sports science, and centralized training at the Olympic Preparation Center in Ostia.
What’s Next: Olympic Ambitions and Global Impact
Bellandi’s tripletta comes at a pivotal moment in the Olympic cycle. With the Paris 2024 Games just weeks away, her victory solidifies her status as Italy’s top judo contender and a legitimate medal threat in the -78kg division. She currently ranks No. 3 in the Olympic qualification standings for her weight class, behind only France’s Audrey Tcheuméo and Kosovo’s Loriana Kuka.
Her immediate focus shifts to the European Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, scheduled for April 25–28, 2024 — a key tune-up before Paris. Bellandi has confirmed she will compete, aiming to add a continental title to her growing resume.
Beyond personal accolades, her success is already inspiring a surge in youth judo participation across Italy. FIJLKAM reported a 22% increase in female judo licenses among athletes aged 12–18 in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023 — a trend federation officials attribute directly to Bellandi’s visibility and relatability.
Context: The State of Women’s Judo Globally
Bellandi’s achievement arrives amid a transformative period for women’s judo. The sport has seen increased investment from the IOC and IJF, with prize money at World Championships now equal for men and women ($26,000 for gold in 2024). Broadcast coverage has expanded, and social media engagement for female judokas has grown by 40% since 2022, per IJF analytics.
Yet challenges remain. In many countries, women’s judo still struggles for funding and media attention. Bellandi’s victory — achieved without corporate sponsorships or a full-time professional contract — highlights both the progress made and the work still needed to ensure equitable support for female athletes in combat sports.
Her story resonates beyond Italy: a testament to perseverance, cultural pride, and the quiet power of representing a nation not traditionally dominant in your sport. As she stood on the podium, the Italian anthem playing over the Abu Dhabi arena, Bellandi didn’t just win a title — she redefined what’s possible.
Looking Ahead: The Road to Paris and Beyond
Bellandi’s next confirmed checkpoint is the 2024 European Judo Championships in Zagreb, where she will defend her continental title from 2023. A strong performance there would further bolster her Olympic seeding and momentum heading into Paris.
After Zagreb, her schedule includes the World Judo Masters in Budapest in June — a final Olympic qualifier — before the Games begin on July 27. Her opening match in Paris is expected to fall in the -78kg pool stage, with exact timing and opponent to be determined by the IJF draw in early July.
For now, Bellandi remains grounded. “One tournament at a time,” she said when asked about Paris. “But I carry this feeling with me — the knowing that we belong here.”
Her journey continues to inspire not just judoka, but any athlete who’s ever been told their dream is too big for their homeland. In Abu Dhabi, she proved otherwise.
Want to share your thoughts on Bellandi’s historic achievement or the future of Italian judo? Join the conversation below — we read every comment and value your perspective.
