Hyeonji Lee wins gold at Baku World Judo Championships

At the 2026 International Judo Federation (IJF) World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, 19-year-old Hyeonji Lee claimed the women’s +78kg world title. Lee, representing South Korea, secured her victory by defeating France’s Romane Dicko in the final. Lee demonstrated dominant form throughout the tournament, winning every match leading up to the final by ippon.

In the men’s +100kg division, Inal Tasoev secured his third world title. Tasoev defeated Azerbaijan’s Ushangi Kokauri in the final to retain his championship status.

The individual competitions concluded with a flag-passing ceremony, where Azerbaijan handed the IJF flag to Kazakhstan, designating Astana as the host city for the 2027 World Championships.