Olek delivered a tactically excellent performance. Having weathered Lytvynenko’s early pressure, she remained patient and countered as soon as the opportunity arose to score a waza-ari. She then added a yuko in ne-waza to secure a thoroughly deserved gold medal.
Anna Monta Olek explained as she walked out of the field of play, "I’m really happy to take a grand slam gold here in Lausanne. The atmosphere was great and having so many fans travel from Germany made it feel like home and gave it a real Olympic spirit. Today felt like my ne-waza day; I won all my preliminary rounds on the ground, which I've been working on a lot. In the semi-final, against Sampaio, I kept the pressure on even through four minutes of golden score. For the final against Lytvynenko, I focused on pressuring her early because of my conditioning and that power carried me through. This tournament was a great test run and warm-up for the Baku World Championships.”
The bronze medal contests completed a particularly strong line-up. France’s Kaila Issoufi faced Japan’s Kurena Ikeda, while Elena Dengg of Austria met Patricia Sampaio of Portugal. Sampaio, an Olympic bronze medallist in Paris in 2024, was seeking another important World Judo Tour podium.
Issoufi produced a focused and disciplined performance in the first contest for bronze. She countered Ikeda for a yuko and retained her advantage until the final buzzer. In the second bronze medal contest, Sampaio’s experience shone as the Portuguese Olympic medallist secured her place on the podium.
Final (-78 kg)
Bronze Medal Fights (-78 kg)
