Judoka Anna-Maria Wagner wins the World Championship title for the second time. The gold coup also has significance for the allocation of Olympic tickets
Judoka Anna-Maria Wagner is world champion for the second time since 2021. In the weight class up to 78 kg, the sports soldier from Ravensburg defeated Italy’s Alice Bellandi in the final in Abu Dhabi by golden score and also clinched the Olympic ticket for Paris in the internal German duel with two-time European champion Alina Böhm.
Wagner, Olympic bronze medal winner in Tokyo three years ago, had entered the World Championships in the Persian Gulf as third in the Olympic world rankings, Böhm as fifth – unlike at the World Championships, which conclude the qualification phase, only one starter per nation is allowed at the Summer Games in Paris (July 26 to August 11).
The German Judo Federation now has two medals to its name in Abu Dhabi, with Mascha Ballhaus having won bronze in the 52 kg category on Sunday. The final individual competitions will take place on Thursday, with medals being contested on Friday in the mixed team competition, which has been an Olympic event since 2021.
