Japan beat Russia 4-1 to reclaim world judo mixed team title in Baku as Uzbekistan win historic bronze

Japan reclaimed the mixed team world title on the final day of the World Judo Championships in Baku on Sunday, 11 October, beating Russia 4-1 in the final. Defending champions Georgia had to settle for bronze, while Uzbekistan won a bronze medal described by JudoInside as historic. This follows our earlier reports on the individual events in Baku, which ended on Saturday.

How Japan won the final

Japan won the first three contests, lost the fourth and clinched the title in the fifth.

• Shiho Tanaka won the under-70kg women's bout against Madina Taimazova with a yuko in golden score.
• Sanshiro Murao beat Egor Andoni in the under-90kg men's contest to make it 2-0.
• Mao Arai won the women's over-70kg bout against Daria Rechkalova in golden score for 3-0.
• Tamerlan Bashaev got Russia on the board by beating Kanta Nakano in the men's over-90kg contest.
• Akari Omori then beat Irina Zueva in the women's under-57kg bout to seal the 4-1 win.

Murao left Baku with two world titles, having already retained his individual 90kg crown earlier in the week.

Road to the final

Japan beat hosts Azerbaijan 4-1 and Mongolia 4-1 before facing China in the semi-finals, according to the European Judo Union. That semi-final included an unusual moment when Tanaka and China's Liu Lu were both disqualified for a lack of attacking judo, but wins from Murao and Arai helped Japan through.

Russia's path was far more dramatic. They edged France 4-3 in the quarter-finals, with Mansur Lorsanov winning in golden score, and then beat Uzbekistan 4-3 in the semi-finals. Inal Tasoev, who had won his third individual heavyweight world title earlier in the week, won the deciding golden-score contest. Euronews reported it was Russia's first mixed team world final.

Historic bronze for Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan had earlier knocked out defending champions Georgia 4-3 in the quarter-finals, with Umida Nigmatova winning the decisive golden-score bout at over 70kg. After their semi-final defeat, they beat Mongolia 4-2 in the bronze-medal contest.

Georgia recovered through the repechage, beating France 4-3, and then beat China to claim the other bronze.

Japan's week in Baku

The team gold capped a dominant championships for Japan. According to the International Judo Federation, Japan won seven of the 14 individual titles in Baku, plus two silvers and three bronzes. Adding the mixed team title, Japan finished the championships with eight gold medals in total. The next World Championships will be held in Astana, Kazakhstan, in 2027.

Key takeaways

• Japan beat Russia 4-1 in the mixed team final at the World Judo Championships in Baku on 11 October 2026.
• Shiho Tanaka, Sanshiro Murao, Mao Arai and Akari Omori won for Japan; Tamerlan Bashaev won Russia's point.
• Uzbekistan beat Mongolia 4-2 for bronze after knocking out defending champions Georgia.
• Georgia took the other bronze by beating China.
• Japan won seven of the 14 individual gold medals in Baku before the team event.

FAQ

Who won the mixed team event at the 2026 World Judo Championships? Japan, who beat Russia 4-1 in the final in Baku on 11 October 2026.

Who won bronze in the mixed team event? Uzbekistan and Georgia. Uzbekistan beat Mongolia 4-2, while Georgia beat China.

Where are the next World Judo Championships? Astana, Kazakhstan, in 2027.

Sources: Euronews, European Judo Union, JudoInside, International Judo Federation