Italy exited the mixed team judo tournament in the Round of 16 at the world championships in Baku, falling 4-1 to reigning world champions Georgia at the National Gymnastics Arena, OA Sport reported. The opening defeat ended the Azzurri’s run at the event, while the Georgian squad advanced directly to the quarter-finals.
Georgia Takes Early Command in Baku
The defending world champions established an immediate advantage in the opening weight categories. Irakli Demetrashvili opened the scoring for Georgia by defeating Kwadjo Anani with an ippon in the over-90kg division. Eteri Liparteliani followed in the under-57kg category, securing a hard-fought ippon after immobilizing Giulia Carnà following nearly three minutes of intense grappling.
Giorgi Loladze then stretched the Georgian lead to 3-0 in the under-73kg match against Giovanni Esposito. The decisive sequence hinged on a yuko scored midway through the bout, a decision that drew immediate protests from the Italian corner.
Late Italian Fightback Falls Short
Trailing heavily, Irene Pedrotti provided a brief spark for the Azzurri in the under-70kg division. Pedrotti overcame Nino Gulbani after securing a third shido penalty against her opponent with just 16 seconds remaining on the clock, narrowing the overall team score to 3-1.
The fifth encounter shifted the pressure to Kenny Komi Bedel in the under-90kg matchup against Luka Maisuradze. Bedel pushed the bout into a golden score period after finishing regulation with two shidos apiece. However, Maisuradze claimed a decisive yuko during the extra period to secure the fourth point for Georgia, eliminating Italy from further contention.
Tournament Format and Next Round Implications
The mixed team competition at the world championships consists of six distinct weight divisions—three male and three female. The first national team to secure four individual match victories wins the overall tie. In the event of a 3-3 deadlock, tournament rules require a randomly drawn weight category to contest a sudden-death golden score tiebreaker.
With the victory, Georgia advanced to the quarter-finals of Pool C, where they awaited the winner of the tie between Uzbekistan and Germany. The Italian delegation departed Baku following the defeat, concluding a championship campaign that included individual medals from Gennaro Pirelli and Asya Tavano earlier in the week.
Related reading
