Germany’s grip on -78 kg shines again as Astana final goes to Anna Monta Olek

Germany’s strength at -78 kg was on full display again in Astana, where Anna Monta Olek and Alina Boehm met in an all-German final. With a category history already marked by German success, seeing two more German judoka fight for gold felt less like a surprise and more like the latest chapter in a long-running standard of excellence.

The final delivered exactly the kind of tension many expected. Olek and Boehm know each other well, and that familiarity made clean scoring chances hard to create. In the end, the contest was decided on penalties, with Olek edging Boehm 3-2 after gaining the upper hand through stronger, more controlling gripping.

It was a narrow finish, but an important one for Olek. She left Astana with the gold medal, while Boehm secured silver, ensuring that two German flags would rise above the podium.

A final between teammates became a battle of tiny margins.

Afterward, Olek said she was happy with how closely she and her team had followed their plan through the early rounds. She also explained why the gold-medal match was especially difficult, pointing to the reality of facing a teammate who understands her judo so well. According to Olek, staying mentally steady and continuing to force attacks to avoid penalties made the difference.

She also connected the result to a wider preparation choice. Olek said the victory in Astana confirmed that skipping the European Championships in favor of more practice had been the right decision.

There was also a European highlight in the bronze-medal contests. France’s Liz Ngelebeya handled the pressure of facing Kazakhstan’s Ekaterina Tokareva in front of a home crowd. Ngelebeya struck first with a counter for yuko, then ended the contest in the next exchange with ippon from a huge harai-goshi.

Liz Ngelebeya produced one of the sharpest finishes of the day.

The second bronze went to Beatriz Freitas of Brazil, who defeated Coralie Godbout of Canada. Their match settled which side of Pan-America would claim the medal, and Freitas answered that question just inside the fourth minute, driving through for ippon with a fully committed turn-in attack.

The final standings reflected both German depth and a broader international spread behind them. Olek topped the category, Boehm followed with silver, and the bronze medals were taken by Ngelebeya and Freitas.

Just outside the medals, Ekaterina Tokareva and Coralie Godbout finished fifth, while Migle Julija Dudenaite of Lithuania and Aleksandra Babintseva were seventh. But the emotional center of the category stayed with the final: two German athletes, one close contest, and another reminder that Germany remains a major force at -78 kg.

Source: IJF.org

Image source: IJF / International Judo Federation