Primo, 26, brought a wealth of experience to the final. Ranked 15th in the world before Lausanne, this judoka had won world bronze in Budapest in 2021 and collected five individual continental medals, including a European title. Her World Judo Tour record includes three grand slam victories, one silver medal and seven bronze medals. She has also been in strong form in recent months, taking bronze at the Tbilisi Grand Slam after a bronze medal at the Guadalajara Grand Prix of 2025.
Right-handed Pont and left-handed Primo neutralised each other throughout normal time, with one shido apiece sending them into golden score. It was a committed contest between two judoka who excelled in both attack and defence. After a minute of additional time, each received a second penalty, placing them both under pressure. Primo appeared to have slightly more left in the tank physically and Pont’s third shido proved decisive. The French judoka had given everything but Gefen Primo claimed the gold medal.
Gefen Primo spoke happily after the final, “I'm so happy. I really missed this feeling. Winning gold isn't like bronze or going home empty-handed. Lausanne is amazing too. I’ve already been for ice-cream by the lake three times! The stadium atmosphere was incredible, almost like a world championships. Now it's a hunt for points to take as many wins as we can. I'm happy to add this gold to my collection."
The bronze medal contests brought together Rin Takeuchi (JPN) and Ariane Toro Soler (ESP), followed by Sugdiyona Rafkatova (UZB) and Rafaela Rodrigues (BRA). With a subtle change of direction, Toro Soler scored a yuko to take bronze at Takeuchi’s expense.
The second bronze medal contest went into an exhausting golden score period, Rafaela Rodrigues (BRA) eventually prevailing on penalties after drawing deeply on her reserves. It was the first grand slam medal of her career.
Final (-52 kg)
Bronze Medal Fights (-52 kg)
