Nineteen-year-old South Korean judoka Lee Hyun-ji claimed the women’s 78kg-plus gold medal at the 2026 International Judo Federation World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, defeating France’s Romane Dicko in the final. The victory marks Lee’s first world title, following her silver medal finish at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
Heavyweight Division Rises to the Global Podium
- The Match: Lee secured victory at the Baku National Gymnastics Arena via a leg wheel (dari-daedolligi) resulting in a waza-ari, followed by an immobilizing hold-down (gyeot-nureugi) for an ippon against world No. 3 Dicko.
- The Precedent: Lee’s gold is South Korea’s sole individual medal of the tournament and marks the second year a South Korean athlete has won the women’s over-78kg world title, following Kim Ha-yun’s victory at the previous year’s world championships.
- The Background: Born in 2007 and standing at 1.81 meters and 138 kilograms, Lee is the daughter of Jeju Island wrestling official Lee Chi-hoon and became a national team member in 2023 while attending Jeju Namnyeong High School.
Baku Redemption After Asian Games Setback
The triumph in Azerbaijan arrives just days after a difficult silver-medal finish on April 2, 2026, at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, where Lee lost the final to China’s Xinlan Niu and wept openly on the mat. Joongang.co.kr reported that Lee redirected that disappointment toward the world championships, widely regarded as the sport’s most prestigious fixture after the Olympic Games.
Her opponent in the Baku final, France’s Romane Dicko, brought extensive championship pedigree to the mat, having secured bronze medals at both the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2024 Paris Olympics. According to the International Judo Federation, Lee maintained tactical composure despite never previously facing the veteran French competitor, relying on her physical conditioning and core strength.
Physical Output and Coaching Dynamics in the Heavyweight Ranks
Lee’s athletic profile centers on raw lifting power. Within national training sessions, her physical output surpasses standard weight benchmarks, allowing her to neutralize European opponents through sheer force generation.
Joongang.co.kr noted that because of her exceptional strength, the national team assigns dedicated male coaching staff to oversee her training. This specialized training regimen enabled Lee to surpass senior rivals, including 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games gold medalist Kim Ha-yun, securing the national team’s primary berth in the heavyweight division.
| Athlete | Age / Weight | Key International Result | Global Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lee Hyun-ji | 19 / 138 kg | 2026 World Championships Gold | World No. 4 |
| Romane Dicko | – | 2026 World Championships Silver | World No. 3 |
| Kim Ha-yun | – | 2025 World Championships Gold | World No. 14 |
Roster Dynamics
While Lee established supremacy at the World Championships in Baku, on the same day as Lee’s victory, men’s 100kg-plus competitor and Paris Olympic silver medalist Kim Min-jong (15th) exited the tournament in his opening match after a defeat to Japan’s Kanta Nakano (10th).
