Austria exits Judo world championships in Baku against Azerbaijan

Austria exited the mixed team event at the Judo World Championships in Baku with a 0-4 defeat against hosts Azerbaijan on Sunday, extending a historic tournament drought where the nation has never advanced past the opening round.

Defeat Against Azerbaijan in Baku

Austria opened the fixture against the host nation with Maria Höllwart of Sanjindo Bischofshofen competing in the over-70 kilograms category. Höllwart lost narrowly to Madina Kaisinova by yuko, setting an uphill battle for the visiting squad. Olympic champion Zelym Kotsoiev then stepped onto the tatami for the over-90 kilograms division against Movli Borchashvilli. Kotsoiev secured an ippon with just 49 seconds remaining on the clock, stretching Azerbaijan’s lead to 2-0.

Laura Kallinger of Judoring Wien, serving as Austria’s sole remaining Viennese judoka at the championships following an injury to Stephan Hegyi, faced Khadiszha Gadashova in the under-57 kilograms class. Kallinger controlled much of the early exchanges but ultimately dropped the bout via yuko. In the under-73 kilograms division, Rashid Mammadaliyev clinched the decisive fourth point for Azerbaijan by defeating Austrian substitute Firas Ben Saad of LZ Multikraft Wels with a waza-ari.

The 4-0 sweep meant that World Championships silver medalist Michaela Polleres, who competed in the under-70 kilogram category during the individual tournament, and Thomas Scharfetter in the under-90 kilogram class were spared from stepping onto the tatami. Reflecting on her performance, Kallinger admitted she did not fight well, noting that her opponent caught her once and she failed to mount an effective counter despite a competitive opening.

Records show that while Austria secured a bronze medal in the mixed team event at the 2019 European Championships in Tel Aviv, the country has never progressed beyond the first round at a World Championships. The team boarded a flight back home late Sunday night alongside Polleres, who carried her individual silver medal.

Global Power Dynamics on the Tatami

Japan and Frankreich remain the dominant forces across the three men’s and three women’s weight categories at international championships. The two nations routinely contest the gold medal matches at major global events.

Austria exits Judo world championships in Baku against Azerbaijan

The historical rivalry between Japan and France carries added weight following previous Olympic mixed team finals where the French side defeated their Japanese opponents. In Baku, however, the French team faltered after failing to secure gold in the individual events. France dropped a narrow 3-4 decision to Russia in the quarterfinals before losing by the same 3-4 scoreline to reigning champions Georgia in the repechage.

Japan navigated through the bracket utilizing three of its seven individual world champions: Akari Omori in the under-57 kilogram division, Ryuka Tanaka in the under-73 kilogram class, and Sanshiro Murao in the under-90 kilogram category. Facing Russia—which fielded Tamerlan Bashaev in the heavyweight slot instead of world champion Inal Tasoev—Japan established an early 3-0 lead. Although Bashaev pulled a point back for Russia, Omori secured the decisive win to seal a 4-1 victory.

In the bronze medal contests, Georgia defeated China 4-1 while Usbekistan overcame Mongolia 4-2.