World judo championships, gold for Alice Bellandi

Italian Olympian Alice Bellandi has won gold at the ongoing judo world championships in Budapest.

The 26-year-old Italian judoka, making her comeback after winning the Olympic gold medal in Paris 2024, on the Papp Laszlo Sportaréna tatami won over Kenyan Zeddy Cherotich, Hungarian Nikolett Sagi and Chinese Ma Zhenzhao to win Pool C in the -78 kg.

In the semifinals, the success against Slovenian Metka Lobnik, then, in the last act, the blow after six minutes of golden score that lands German Anna Monta Olek and awards the title to the Lombard athlete.

This is the first world gold for Bellandi, who already boasted silver in Abu Dhabi 2024 and bronze in Doha 2023 on her rainbow list. For Italy, it is the second medal at the world championships in Budapest after Assunta Scutto’s gold in the -48 kg.