Abe’s Rivals Gather as Europe Leads the -52 kg Seeds

Uta Abe will be the name every contender watches in the -52 kg category at the world championships in Baku. The Japanese champion remains the defining presence in the division, but a deep field of European athletes arrives ready to test her.

Odette Giuffrida leads the seeded entries. The Italian, a double Olympic medallist and 2024 world champion, is ranked world number two and becomes the top seed with world number one Distria Krasniqi absent. Her experience at the highest level makes her a central figure in a category packed with ambition.

Europe holds the first four seeded positions, underlining the strength assembled for this championship. Spain’s Ariane Toro Soler and Ayumi Leiva Sanchez are among the judoka seeking to make their mark in Baku. Toro Soler reached the final at the Paris Grand Slam in February and later stepped onto the podium in Lausanne at the end of August.

Leiva Sanchez comes in after a notable victory at the Hungary Grand Slam in September. Both Spanish judoka have shown enough this season to approach the competition with confidence.

Europe’s leading seeds bring real depth to the -52 kg contest.

Mascha Ballhaus is another key name on the lower half of the draw. The German’s only medal of the year so far was silver in China in June, but the world championships offer an opportunity to move back into the spotlight.

Gefen Primo, Khorloodoi Bishrelt and Hungary’s Roza Gyertyas also belong in the conversation. Gyertyas took world bronze last year, while Primo and Bishrelt add further quality to an already demanding bracket.

Still, the central challenge remains clear: can anyone stop Abe? Giuffrida’s status as top seed, the Spanish momentum, Ballhaus’s potential response and the wider group of contenders ensure that the -52 kg category has no shortage of possible twists. Yet every path to the title could lead back to the Japanese champion.

The fight to challenge Abe will shape one of Baku’s most compelling categories.

Source: IJF.org

Image source: IJF / International Judo Federation