French judoka Kaïla Issoufi secured a silver medal in the under-78 kg division at the World Judo Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, after reaching the tournament final on Friday, October 9, as reported by ouest-france.fr. Competing in her first World Championships, the 25-year-old athlete advanced through the bracket by defeating top-ranked opponents before ultimately finishing as the runner-up. She is the first representative of the French team to reach a final since the beginning of the competition.
Baku Final Match Against Yelyzaveta Lytvynenko
In the gold-medal bout, Issoufi faced United Arab Emirates competitor Yelyzaveta Lytvynenko. The two fighters had previously met in November 2025, a bout that resulted in a narrow victory for Issoufi. During the Baku final, however, Lytvynenko maintained control from the outset and secured a decisive win, as noted by lefigaro.fr. Following the match, French national team coach Kilian Le Blouch acknowledged the outcome to lefigaro.fr: Il faut reconnaître la victoire franche et nette de l’adversaire qui a fait une très grande journée. On est probablement à notre place en étant vice-championne du monde.
Kilian Le Blouch also stated: Son adversaire était plus forte, elle a été capable de prendre l’initiative. C’est comme ça.
Path to the Under-78 kg Medal Rounds
To reach the final block, Issoufi posted a series of high-level wins on the tatami in Baku. In the semi-finals, she faced Germany’s Olek Anna Monta—the world number one and defending silver medalist—and claimed victory by scoring a yuko just as time expired on the clock, according to ouest-france.fr. Earlier in the tournament, she eliminated Japan’s Kurena Ikeda by ippon in the quarter-finals, lefigaro.fr reported.
Weight Class Shift Sparks Issoufi's Competitive Momentum
Issoufi’s run to the world podium follows a strategic shift in weight classes. She competed in the under-70 kg division, where she struggled to establish her style and battled frequent injuries. At the beginning of 2025, she moved up to the under-78 kg category. The change yielded immediate competitive momentum, highlighted by a Grand Slam title in Tashkent in February and a bronze medal at her first European Championships in April, as detailed by lefigaro.fr. Kilian Le Blouch emphasized regarding her trajectory: On peut être fier de ce qu’elle a fait cette saison: médaille d’Europe, vice-championne du monde, c’est plutôt pas mal.
Broader Impact on the French Delegation
Issoufi’s silver-medal performance provides the French national judo team with its third podium finish of the Baku championships, following bronze medals earned by Shirine Boukli in the under-48 kg class and Dayyan Boulemtafes in the under-73 kg class, according to ouest-france.fr. This serves to raise the tally for the French team, which had been judged disappointing until then.
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