(PRIMASPORT) BAKU – Historic feat for Italian judo on the opening day of the 2026 World Championships at the National Gymnastics Arena in Baku, Azerbaijan. Assunta Scutto won the silver medal in the -48 kg category, setting an all-time record for Italian sport: it was her fifth consecutive world championship medal, a record never achieved by any Italian athlete in the history of the discipline.
The reigning world champion, the twenty-four-year-old Neapolitan, was halted only in the final by Japan's Wakana Koga, who took the title after a fierce battle. The podium was completed by France's Shirine Boukli and Russia's Sabina Giliazova, both bronze medalists. For "Susy," who arrived in Baku after a challenging year marred by injuries and a delicate recovery process under coach Antonio Ciano, the Azeri silver medal tastes like a sign of rebirth and self-confidence.
Assunta Scutto's performance on the Azerbaijani mat was a demonstration of strength, maturity, and renewed tactical clarity. Drawn into a challenging draw, the Fiamme Gialle athlete made her debut with the win of the tournament, eliminating China's world number one Xinran Hui in the first round via yuko. Having found her ideal rhythm, the Italian then dominated the subsequent rounds before the break, overwhelming Turkey's Merve Azak in the round of 16 and Brazil's Clarice Ribeiro in the quarterfinals with two textbook ippons. In the semifinals, she completed the masterpiece by defeating Russia's Marina Vorobeva with another clear ippon, securing her spot in the final after a run of four consecutive victories.
«It's always a source of pride to stand on the world podium, especially for the fifth time in a row – Assunta Scutto declared immediately after getting off the mat –. Obviously, as the defending champion, I wanted to confirm my form, but I wasn't in 100% form. I had some minor injuries and wasn't even able to do randori this week. Even though I was struggling, I always found the strength to keep going. Given how it came about, this silver medal is as good as a gold medal for me: I came here without any certainties and without being seeded. As for the final, the Japanese style is a gap I have that I will continue to work on; Koga was prepared, but now I'll train to find a countermove. This is already a commitment for next year to improve and win gold again. (PRIMASPORT)
