JUDO Preview: Huge field for 2018 World Championships in Baku

A massive total of 800 judoka from 129 countries have gathered in Baku (AZE) for the IJF World Championships, with competition in 14 classes, from 20-27 September at the National Gymnastics Arena.

The top seeds in each class (and their current IJF World Rankings):

Men:
∙ -60 kg:
1. Ryuju Nagayama (JPN: 1)
2. Robert Mshvidobadze (RUS: 2)
Defending champion: 4. Naohisa Takato (JPN: 4)

∙ -66 kg:
1. Tal Flicker (ISR: 1:)
2. Hifumi Abe (JPN: 2)
Defending champion: 2. Abe

∙ -73 kg:
1. Soichi Hashimoto (JPN: 1)
2. Rustam Orujov (AZE: 2)
Defending champion: 1. Hashimoto

∙ -81 kg:
1. Saeid Mollaei (IRI: 1)
2. Frank de Wit (NED: 2)
Defending champion: 27. Alexander Wieczerzak (GER: 37)

∙ -90 kg:
1. Aleksandar Kukolj (SRB: 1)
2. Beka Gviniashvili (GEO: 2)
Defending champion: 6. Nemanja Majdov (SRB: 6)

∙ -100 kg:
1. Varlam Liparteliani (GEO: 1)
2. Michael Korrel (NED: 2)
Defending champion: 10. Aaron Wolf (JPN: 17)

∙ +100 kg:
1. Guram Tushishvili (GEO: 1)
2. David Moura (BRA: 2)
Defending champion: – Teddy Riner (FRA; not entered)

Women:
∙ -48 kg:
1. Urantseteg Munkhbat (MGL: 1)
2. Irina Dolgova (RUS: 2)
Defending champion: 4. Funa Tonaki (JPN: 4)

∙ -52 kg:
1. Amandine Buchard (FRA: 1)
2. Natalia Kuziutina (RUS: 3)
Defending champion: 7. Ai Shishime (JPN: 10)

∙ -57 kg:
1. Sumiya Dorjsuren (MGL: 1)
2. Tsukasa Uoshida (JPN: 2)
Defending champion: 1. Dorjsuren

∙ -63 kg:
1. Clarisse Agbegnenou (FRA: 1)
2. Tina Trstenjak (SLO: 3)
Defending champion: 1. Agbegnenou

∙ -70 kg:
1. Maria Portela (BRA: 1)
2. Marie Eve Gahie (FRA: 2)
Defending champion: 5. Chizuru Arai (JPN: 6)

∙ -78 kg:
1. Guusje Steehuis (NED: 1)
2. Natalie Powell (GBR: 2)
Defending champion: 5. Mayra Aguiar (BRA: 5)

∙ +78 kg:
1. Minjeong Kim (KOR: 1)
2. Larisa Ceric (BIH: 2)
Defending champion: – Song Yu (CHN: not entered)

So, six of the seven world champions from 2017 are back in both the men’s and women’s divisions, with only the heavyweights (Riner and Wu) sitting out. Only three of last year’s World Champions are still seeded first in their weight class.

The prize purse is substantial: € 26,000 for the winners (with € 5,200 to the coach), € 15,000 for second (20% to coach) and € 8,000 to both bronze medalists (20% to coach).

Look for results here.