Across from her, Cysique brought the experience of an athlete accustomed to the biggest stages. Ranked fifth in the world before Lausanne, the 28-year-old Frenchwoman had won Olympic silver in Tokyo in 2021. Her 2026 season had confirmed her return to the forefront, with victory at the Paris Grand Slam, bronze at the European Championships and silver at the Ulaanbaatar Grand Slam. With medals at world and continental level, both individually and in teams, she had all the credentials to challenge for the title.
The final was evenly balanced, with both athletes seeking to impose their preferred grip in order to launch the powerful, highly effective attacks for which they are known. That balance held until Liparteliani unleashed a thunderous hip throw which left Cysique with no chance of escape. The Frenchwoman was sent over cleanly and landed flat on her back. It was an indisputable ippon and the reigning world champion had taken the title.
Eteri Liparteliani later said, “Winning the gold medal here in the Olympic capital is a huge motivation for me. Sarah is a very tough opponent and we always have challenging battles together, so I am thrilled that I was able to come out victorious in the final.”
Before that, Giulia Carna (ITA) faced Natalia Elkina (RUS) for one bronze medal, while Ayami Takano (JPN) met Martha Fawaz (FRA) for the other. Halfway through the first contest, Carna took the lead with a powerful sumi-otoshi for a yuko, an advantage she held until the end to secure bronze.
The second bronze medal contest became a lesson in Japanese groundwork. Controlling every point of support and defence available to Fawaz, Takano secured an immobilisation for ippon and the bronze medal.
Final (-57 kg)
Bronze Medal Fights (-57 kg)
