Yelyzaveta Lytvynenko wins UAE’s first world judo title in Baku

Yelyzaveta Lytvynenko made history for the UAE on October 9, winning the country’s first-ever senior world judo championship gold medal in Baku.

Competing in the women’s under-78kg category at the National Gymnastics Arena, she defeated France’s Kaila Issoufi in the final. Two decisive scoring attacks secured the title, leaving Lytvynenko with her hands over her face as the significance of the result began to sink in.

The victory added gold to the UAE’s campaign after the team had already collected a silver earlier in the championships.

Two decisive attacks in the final

Issoufi kept the opening exchanges competitive, handling Lytvynenko’s reach and attacking pressure through the first two minutes.

The breakthrough came when the French judoka launched an attack that left an opening. Lytvynenko countered with a combination ending in ko-uchi-gari, earning the first waza-ari.

Another exchange brought a second opportunity. This time, Lytvynenko used uchi-mata to score again and complete the victory.

Issoufi took silver, while Japan’s Kurena Ikeda and Germany’s Anna Monta Olek claimed the two bronze medals.

A demanding route to gold

Lytvynenko had already overcome experienced opposition before reaching the medal contest. In the round of 16, she faced France’s Audrey Tcheumeo, whose career includes world and Olympic medals.

That encounter tested both athletes. Lytvynenko advanced after scoring a yuko in a contest that also involved accumulated penalties, clearing an important obstacle in her draw.

She later defeated Portugal’s Patricia Sampaio in the semi-final to earn her place against Issoufi.

The French finalist had also produced a strong run, beating Ikeda and then top seed Olek. Their meeting for gold brought together two athletes who had worked through a particularly competitive field.

A season already filled with podium finishes

The Baku result followed a series of strong performances on the 2026 World Judo Tour. Lytvynenko had won the Dushanbe and Ulaanbaatar Grand Slams, alongside silver medals at the Paris Grand Slam and Asian Championships.

In August, she reached another Grand Slam final in Lausanne, where she finished second to Olek. The contest paired the world’s top two ranked athletes at the time and provided another demanding test ahead of the championships.

Those results placed Lytvynenko among the leading contenders arriving in Baku. Her world title converted a season of repeated podium appearances into the UAE’s first gold at the sport’s senior global championship.

The team behind the champion

Lytvynenko’s sporting journey began away from the tatami. Growing up in Pokrov, Ukraine, she first took up diving at the age of eight before her father suggested trying judo.

She has described the sport as a lesson in discipline, with its demands extending from technical preparation to fitness, nutrition and the mental side of competition.

In an interview earlier in 2026, she also identified a positive atmosphere as central to her performance. Enjoying training, feeling happy within the team and sharing its spirit were important sources of motivation.

That sense of support was present in her reaction after the Baku final. Lytvynenko said she had felt good throughout the day, from waking up and warming up to moving through each contest.

Her family was in the arena to witness the achievement. Reflecting on the people around her, she said: “The whole team was behind me and today I’m world champion.”