South Korean judoka Lee Hyeon-ji captured the women’s over-78kg gold medal at the 2026 International Judo Federation World Championships, defeating France’s Romane Dicko in the final at the National Gymnastics Arena in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Baku National Gymnastics Arena Final
World-ranked fourth, Lee secured the title on January 11 by executing a half-leg rotation throw followed by a side-pressure hold against Dicko, who entered the bout ranked third in the world and carries bronze medals from the 2020 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The decisive sequence came with one minute and 44 seconds remaining in the championship match, capping a dominant tournament run for the South Korean competitor.
Rapid Victories Through Early Rounds
Lee’s path to the gold medal featured a series of swift preliminary matches. In the opening round, she defeated the Dominican Republic’s Moira Morillo—ranked 36th globally—using a left heel-trip technique just five seconds after the opening whistle. She followed that performance in the second round by throwing Venezuela’s Karen León, ranked 17th, with a right-side waist wheel in nine seconds. In the quarterfinals, Lee overcame Italy’s Asya Tavano, ranked sixth, before meeting Israel’s Raz Hershko, the world’s top-ranked judoka, in the semifinals. Lee defeated Hershko in 46 seconds.
A Fast Turnaround After Asian Games Disappointment
The world championship victory arrived just days after Lee experienced a difficult defeat in the women’s over-78kg final at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on January 2. Having controlled much of that final match before suffering a late loss that left her in tears with a silver medal, Lee redirected her focus toward the world championships held in Baku. Last year, Lee earned a bronze medal at the world championships before advancing to secure the top step of the podium in Azerbaijan.
Wrestling Background and Olympic Outlook
Born in 2007, Lee is the daughter of Lee Chi-hoon, a former wrestler and executive director of the Jeju Island Wrestling Association. She became the youngest national team representative during her freshman year at Namyangju High School, utilizing a wrestling-inspired hip movement as a core technical weapon in international judo competition. With her world championship gold medal secured, her development points toward a potential run at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
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