Japan's Akari Omori and Ryuga Tanaka Win World Judo Titles in Baku

Japan added two more gold medals to its collection at the 2026 World Judo Championships, with Akari Omori and Ryuga Tanaka both winning world titles on day three of competition in Baku, Azerbaijan, according to the International Judo Federation.

Omori took the -57kg division, knocking off defending world champion Eteri Liparteliani in golden score. Her toughest test came against her own teammate, Momo Tamaoki, in an earlier round.

The final itself was a crowd-against-her affair. Liparteliani had the support of the National Gymnastics Arena behind her, and Omori said afterward the noise for her opponent was deafening.

"When I was fighting, the support for Liparteliani was so loud it was all I could hear," Omori said, according to the IJF. "The atmosphere was incredible. I was determined to win, even if it meant disappointing the crowd."

Omori got the job done on the ground, turning Liparteliani over and holding her down for the win in extra time.

In the -73kg final, Tanaka faced Makhmadbek Makhmadbekov of the United Arab Emirates, the world number three who already held a world bronze medal and came in hoping to finally reach the top of the podium. Makhmadbekov had looked sharp in the preliminary rounds, but Tanaka had other plans.

Tanaka had survived a difficult draw of his own, beating the category's top seed and advancing to the final off a waza-ari score in the semifinal. The gold-medal match came down to one exchange: a driving ouchi-gari that put Makhmadbekov on the mat for a yuko score and sealed the win.

"I think it's wonderful to see judo spreading not just in Japan, but all around the world," Tanaka said, according to the IJF. "Seeing the crowd cheering for every athlete and being so invested in the matches gives me a lot of energy."

Medals were presented by CBH Bank CEO Simon Benhamou for the women's -57kg category and by IJF General Treasurer Naser Al Tamimi for the men's -73kg category.

Business on the Mat

Outside the competition itself, day three also brought organizational news. IJF President Marius Vizer and CBH Bank's Benhamou signed a sponsorship agreement. Separately, Al Tamimi signed a memorandum of understanding with Gonzalo Londono, secretary general of the International Police Sports Union.

Neither the IJF nor the outlets that carried the federation's account of the day detailed the financial terms of the CBH Bank sponsorship or the specific commitments under the MOU with the police sports union.

A Big Day For Japan

Japan's two golds on day three completed what the IJF described as a double triumph for the team in Baku. The 2026 World Championships continue with day four, where new weight classes will be contested and the IJF will crown more champions.