Power and poise carry Teltsidou to another Grand Slam crown

Elisavet Teltsidou of Greece delivered a powerful performance in the -70 kg final, defeating Brazil’s Kaillany Cardoso to earn her fifth Grand Slam title. The experienced Greek judoka struck with a forceful attack before completing the job on the ground.

Cardoso arrived in the final with strong recent form. The 22-year-old Brazilian, junior world silver medallist in 2023, had collected bronze at the Guadalajara Grand Prix in 2025 and silver medals at the La Nucia Benidorm European Open and Lima Panamerican Open in 2026.

Teltsidou, however, brought a long record of success at the highest level. Her earlier Grand Slam victories came in Abu Dhabi in 2022 and in Tbilisi, Qazaqstan Barysy and Baku in 2023. She also won European silver in 2024 and 2025, before taking Mediterranean Games gold, Tashkent Grand Slam bronze and fifth place at the European Championships in 2026.

The final highlighted the Greek athlete’s attacking identity. Teltsidou described feeling comfortable from her opening contest and said she stayed committed to her own style, built around big throws.

Teltsidou’s fifth Grand Slam title arrived with an emphatic final attack.

After the victory, Teltsidou said the result was especially meaningful ahead of the World Championships. She also offered a direct message to younger judoka: practise, trust your instincts and develop your own style.

European athletes also filled both bronze-medal positions. Romania’s Serafima Moscalu defeated Sweden’s Ingrid Nilsson with Shime-waza for Ippon, while Austria’s Michaela Polleres overcame Portugal’s Tais Pina. Polleres scored with a textbook Tai-otoshi to secure her 18th World Judo Tour medal outside the World Championships and Olympic Games.

The final -70 kg podium featured Teltsidou in first place, Cardoso in second, and Moscalu and Polleres with bronze. Nilsson and Pina finished fifth, while Croatia’s Lara Cvjetko and Sweden’s Ida Eriksson took seventh.

For Teltsidou, the Budapest atmosphere added to a memorable day. The Greek star also spoke warmly about meeting young fans, saying that signing autographs for children meant a great deal to her.

Source: IJF.org

Image source: IJF / International Judo Federation