The 2026 Judo World Championships open on Sunday in Baku, Azerbaijan, bringing 622 athletes from 93 nations together for eight days of competition across 14 individual weight classes.
Baku Draws Set Up Tough Second-Round Tests
The opening draw in Baku presents manageable first-round hurdles for the Austrian Judo Federation squad, though subsequent rounds feature former world champions and top-seeded contenders. ÖJV head coach Yvonne Snir-Bönisch noted that while early matchups look favorable, the second round introduces significant tests for the team’s leading competitors.
Lubjana Piovesana opens her campaign Wednesday in the under-63-kilogram category against South Korea’s Yeji Kim. A victory would pit the 29-year-old Austro-Briton against fourth-seeded former world champion Joanne Van Lieshout of the Netherlands. Piovesana holds a 1-3 head-to-record against the Dutch judoka, though her sole victory against Van Lieshout came at last year’s Baku Grand Slam.
In the under-70-kilogram division, Michaela Polleres meets the United States competitor Melissa Myers on Thursday. Polleres holds a 1-0 career edge over Myers. Should she advance, the Austrian faces second-seeded Aoife Coughlan of Australia.
Heavyweights and Team Challenges in Pool B
Thomas Scharfetter enters the under-90-kilogram bracket directly in the second round on Thursday, facing the winner of the preliminary bout between Taiwan’s Peng-Yu Chen and Hungary’s Gergely Nerpel. A third-round match against seventh-seeded Goki Tajima of Japan looms for the Austrian lightweight.
In the under-78-kilogram class on Friday, Elena Dengg faces Cyprus judoka Zanet Michaeloidov, with eighth-seeded Colombian competitor Brenda Olaya waiting in the next round. Heavyweight competition rounds out the individual entries on Saturday, as Maria Höllwart takes on Croatia’s sixth-seeded Helena Vukovic in the over-78-kilogram division. Movli Borchashvilli begins in the second round of the men’s over-100-kilogram category against Uganda’s Akira Nakajima, with former European champion Martti Puumalainen of Finland projected as a third-round opponent.
On the final day of competition, October 11, the mixed-team event features 18 nations. Austria opens in Pool B against host nation Azerbaijan, currently ranked tenth in the International Judo Federation standings. The Azerbaijani team features two reigning Paris Olympic champions: Hidayat Heydarov in the under-73-kilogram division and Zelym Kotsoiev in the under-100-kilogram class. A victory in the opening fixture would set up a second-round meeting against Japan.
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