Lightweight (≤57 kilograms), Women

The lightweight division was yet another class with the four top seeded judoka sharing the medals. After two convincing victories in the first two rounds, the favourite and top seed Canadian Jessica Klimkait, world champion in 2021, met third seed Sarah-Léonie Cysique from the Caribbean island Guadeloupe in the semi-final. After seven minutes, both had been loaded with two Shidos (penalties), Cysique for non-combativity and Klimkait for feigned attacks. At 7:10 Klimkait received her third Shido for false attack, automatically giving an Ippon (full point) to Cysique, who advanced to the final. In the other table, second seed Nora Gjakova from Kosovo faced one of most highly decorated lightweights of the last five years, Tsukasa Yoshida, world champion in 2018 and world runner-up in 2017 and 2019, and World Masters winner in 2018 and 2021. Gjakova, bronze medallist at the 2021 World Championships and the 2018 European Champion, represented Albania until Kosovo was recognized at international level. She scored the first Waza-ari (half point) applying a Ko-soto-gake (minor outer hook) giving her the victory in Golden Score. Her brother Akil competed in the men’s lightweight at the same time but missed out on a medal.

The final between Gjakova and Cysique ended after 2:45 min with a major upset. Cysique was penalized by a Hansoku-make for a banned head dive using the head to avoid a fall. This was equivalent of an Ippon for Gjakova, and her immediate victory. The two women defeated in the semi-finals, Klimkait and Yoshida, made their way through the repêchage to claim bronze.