Golden Score Settles Giliazova’s -48 kg Battle in Budapest

Sabina Giliazova claimed -48 kg gold in Budapest after a tightly contested all-Russian Judo final against Kristina Dudina. With neither athlete able to create a decisive scoring chance in regular time, the contest went into golden score before Dudina received a third Shido.

It was a final shaped by patience, movement and tactical pressure. Dudina and Giliazova both looked for openings through changes of direction, but the balance of the contest remained largely unchanged until the penalties decided it.

Giliazova entered the final with considerable experience at this level. She is a three-time European medallist and won silver at the 2026 European Championships, while Dudina has already built an impressive record despite being only 22. The 2024 European champion also earned junior world bronze medals in 2023 and 2024, alongside Grand Slam medals in Astana in 2023 and 2026.

A third Shido brought the tense golden score final to its conclusion.

For Giliazova, the victory marked her first gold medal since the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Slam. After leaving the mat, she said she was happy to be a gold medallist again but remained focused on preparing for the upcoming world championship.

The bronze medal contests produced two contrasting finishes. Amber Gersjes of the Netherlands faced Japan’s Tomoka Arakawa, with Arakawa securing bronze after scoring Yuko through neat ashi-waza. Gersjes finished fifth in the final standings.

In the other bronze medal fight, Baasankhuu Bavuudorj of Mongolia defeated Maria Celia Laborde of the United States of America. Bavuudorj, the 2024 world and Asian champion and Paris 2024 Olympic silver medallist, applied immediate pressure before finishing on the ground with an arm lock for Ippon.

Bavuudorj had arrived in Budapest among the standout names in the category, and her bronze represented a strong return to the podium. Arakawa joined her in third place, while Giliazova stood at the top after a final in which composure and tactical discipline made the difference.

Source: IJF.org

Image source: IJF / International Judo Federation