Assunta Scutto captured a silver medal at the 2026 World Judo Championships in Baku, securing her fifth consecutive global podium finish and extending a historic streak for Italian judo.
Baku Silver Extends Historic World Championship Streak
Fighting at the global tournament in Baku on October 4, 2026, Scutto advanced through a demanding bracket before meeting Japan’s Wakana Koga in the final. While Koga claimed the gold medal, Scutto’s run to the championship bout cemented a streak that began with bronze in Tashkent in 2022, continued with bronze in Doha in 2023, silver in Abu Dhabi in 2024, and gold in Budapest in 2025.
Path to the Final and Coaching Assessment
Scutto’s tournament path included a victory over China’s Xinran Hui, the top-ranked competitor in the category, followed by wins against Turkey’s Azak, Brazil’s Ribeiro, and Russia’s Vorobeva.
“The final wasn’t played out the way it could have been,” coach Antonio Ciano said following the match. “In my opinion, she dropped some tension in the final block and she struggles a bit with the Japanese competitor’s position. And also, though it’s not an excuse, for a week or ten days she hasn’t been able to do everything, she wasn’t at 100%.”
Ciano emphasized that Scutto’s performance despite physical setbacks demonstrated her elite status. “Today she showed she is a champion, beating the number one seed… then it was all downhill. The competition wasn’t a given, her form wasn’t top, and as the outgoing champion, for four years she has always climbed the podium and this is the fifth year. It’s something out of the ordinary. We just have to compliment her, enjoy this silver… beautiful silver, and celebrate.”
All-Time World Standing Among Judo Greats
Scutto’s five consecutive world championship medals represent an all-time record for Italian judo. On the global stage, Teddy Riner holds the record with eight gold medals, followed by Japan’s Ryoko Tamura-Tani and France’s Clarisse Agbegnenou with seven medals each, and Great Britain’s Karen Briggs with six.
With five global medals, Scutto ties for fourth place all-time among world judo greats alongside Belgium’s Gella Vandecaveye, Japan’s Kaori Yamaguchi, Belgium’s Ingrid Berghmans, Japan’s Maki Tsukada, and Brazil’s Erika Miranda. Excluding Teddy Riner, all multi-medallists across this historical tier are women.
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