Daria Bilodid youngest ever Judo World Champion in history

Daria Bilodid became the youngest ever World Champion in the history. The tall Ukraine turned from a princess into a queen today. She was already European champion and won all possible titles in Europe, but now she was crowned as the best judoka U48kg of the World after her victory against Funa Tonaki (JPN).

Not just that, she is the youngest ever and improves the record of the legendary Ryoko Tani-Tamura. The tiny Japanese is totally the opposite when it comes to physics in another judo era. She was just 18 when she won the first of seven world titles in 1993. Bilodid is 17 years and 345 days, she will turn 18 at 10 October. In the all time list also the names such as Teddy Riner (2007), Ingrid Berghmans (1980).

Bilodid defeated Funa Tonaki in the U48kg final. She never lost to a Japanese opponent and is without any loss since the World Championships last year in Budapest. She won all her tournaments but skipped the European Championships this year due to an injury.

Bilodid dominated during the day where she defeated a potential medallists Distria Krasniqi (KOS) in her first match with a safe match by wazari. After Krasniqi Chinese Xiong Yao was the next victim. In the quarter final Olympic bronze medallist Otgontsetseg Galbadrakh was defeated which led to the semi final against Olympic Champion Paula Pareto who is 32 years and 15 years older than Bilodid. But Bilodid also dominated the grip and the stance of this contest and didn't give Pareto space to come close. In the final Bilodid, whos father won two European titles in the nineties and world bronze in 2005, overcame the 2017 world champion Funa Tonaki of Japan. Bilodid defeated her twice and now three times this time decided by an excellent ippon after two minutes with the same hook as she performed in Zagrebs Grand Prix a few weeks ago against Tonaki. Her dominant kumi kata and gripping and despite her height her stance is and balance are amazing.

Tonaki got the final from Munkhbat who took an unnecesarry penalty in the last seconds of the semi final, her third and last penalty and showed her the direction to the final against Bilodid.

For those who are interested in a potential world title for another rookie Uta Abe (17), Abe is three months older than Bilodid.

Bronze medals

Otgontsetseg Galbadrakh took the bronze medal after she bested an untidy Urantsetseg Munkhbat of Mongolia. Galbadrakh is a former Mongolian but fighting for Kazakhstan since 2015. Both know each-other so well which also in this case delivers a tactical match but the tacics of Galbadrakh where just a bit better as agains Munkhbat gave it away. The second bronze medal was for the most experienced of the pack, Paula Pareto who caught Catarina Costa of Portugal, who fought an excellent Championship today, but was left with empty hands as Pareto took her third World medal. She won silver in 2014, gold in 2015, Olympic Gold in 2016 and now bronze. At the Youth Olympic Games Pareto will be the ambassador of the Games in Buenos Aires. It was actually planned that Bilodid would be a press member as she studies communication. But those plans were changed after Bilodid won all possible matches in the World Tour. Now they are both ambassadors in judo.