Funakubo brought major championship experience to the final. An Olympic bronze medallist at Paris 2024 and world silver medallist in 2022 and 2023, she is also one of judo’s most respected ne-waza specialists.
In the purest demonstration of her mastery on the ground, Funakubo recovered from conceding a yuko to take gold. The Olympic bronze medallist eventually immobilised Mukhina to secure the victory.
Haruka Funakubo declared, "I'm happy to be back competing in an international tournament. I’ve gained a lot of experience over the years and I think that's what paid off today. My goal is the Los Angeles Olympics but making the Japanese national team is extremely tough. So first, I want to do my best to win in Japan so I can qualify to compete internationally again."
Hungary’s Luca Veg faced Sarah Souza of Brazil in the first bronze medal contest, with the host nation again represented in front of its public. The second bronze medal contest saw Emma Melis of France take on Seija Ballhaus of Germany. Veg had long believed she was on her way to delivering the host nation’s first Hungary Grand Slam medal for the host nation. Leading by a yuko, she came under increasing pressure from Souza, who slipped beneath her centre of gravity to score ippon with a superb seoi-nage, silencing the arena in an instant.
Ballhaus stepped onto the tatami for the second bronze medal contest with focus and tactical clarity. Her experience and mastery of kumi-kata allowed her to force Melis to make errors and claim a deserved tactical victory.
Final (-57 kg)
Bronze Medal Fights (-57 kg)
