The 2026 Baku World Judo Championships run from October 4 to October 11 in Baku, Azerbaijan, bringing together top international competitors for a week of individual and team bouts, PR TIMES reported. Day 6 of the tournament features the men’s 100kg and women’s 78kg divisions, where Japan’s Dota Arai and Kurena Ikeda take to the tatami pursuing their first career world titles.
Dota Arai Chases Men’s 100kg Redemption After Paris Silver and Domestic Success
Arai enters the men's 100kg bracket following a breakthrough silver-medal finish at the previous world championships in his tournament debut.
Known for powerful throws like ō-uchi-gari, uchimata, and ō-soto-gari, Arai faces a formidable path through a heavy-hitting division. His primary obstacle is Georgia’s Ilia Sulamanidze, a silver medalist at the Paris Olympics who holds two wins over Arai, including an ō-soto-otoshi ippon victory in the Grand Slam Tokyo final last December. Additional threats in the weight class include Italy’s Gennaro Pirelli, winner of four international titles this year including the European Championships, and Azerbaijan’s Olympic champion Zelym Kotsoiev.
Kurena Ikeda Deploys Lethal Ground Game in Women’s 78kg Quest
In the women's 78kg division, Komatsu judoka Kurena Ikeda aims for the top step of the podium after claiming a bronze medal in her world championship debut last year.
Ikeda’s strategy centers on a high-conversion ground game. She disrupts opponents using techniques like soto-makikomi and tomoe-nage before transitioning into ne-waza to secure decisive ippon victories. “I like ground techniques where spectators can clearly see who wins or loses,” Ikeda noted regarding her preferred style. Standing in her path are Germany’s Anna Monta Olek, the 2025 world runner-up; Portugal’s Olympic bronze medalist Patrícia Sampaio; and veteran French competitor Audrey Tcheuméo, who captured Olympic bronze in London 2012 and silver in Rio 2016.
Baku Championships Run from October 4 to 11
Competition at the Baku championships began on October 4 with the men’s 60kg and women’s 48kg classes, proceeding through the week via daily weight category splits before concluding with the mixed team event on October 11. Fans can follow the action via official live streams on Judo TV or through television broadcasts on CS Nittele Getas.
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