Keldiyorova finds her confidence in Zagreb

Olympic champion Diyora Keldiyorova is gradually rediscovering her best judo after a lengthy absence from international competition. The Uzbek claimed bronze at the Zagreb Grand Prix, her first medal in three tournaments since returning to the tatami in October, and admitted afterwards that rebuilding her confidence has been just as important as recovering her competitive rhythm.

Keldiyorova’s return began at the Asian Open in Aktau, where she recorded three victories. At the Grand Slam in Abu Dhabi she defeated Spain’s Paullina Martinez before losing to Morocco’s Soumiya Iraoui, but Zagreb provided a more encouraging indication of her progress. She defeated Kazakhstan’s Aruzhan Yerezhepova and Kosovo’s Fatjona Kasapi before losing to eventual champion Roza Gyertyas in the semi-final. The Hungarian used an Italian-style hara-zutsumi to turn the Olympic champion over, but Keldiyorova recovered to defeat France’s Blandine Pont by ippon in just 1 minute and 24 seconds for bronze.

The result brought her 2026 record to six victories and four defeats across three tournaments, with Zagreb representing an important step forward after more than two years away from regular competition. Speaking to the International Judo Federation afterwards, Keldiyorova was visibly emotional about returning to the podium.

“I’m so happy and so proud of myself. I want to thank my coaches, my whole team and everybody who helped me, supported me and believed in me,” she said, explaining that her immediate priority is to rediscover the familiar sensations of competing rather than expecting everything to return overnight.

“The important thing is that I feel the tatami again, feel my judo and feel my techniques. Everything is coming back step by step.”

Keldiyorova acknowledged that her life has changed considerably during her absence and that returning to competition requires a different approach. She welcomed the reintroduction of yuko into the scoring system, seeing it as another opportunity for attacking judoka, while also highlighting the importance of German coach Marko Spittka returning to her team at the right moment.

The mental side of her comeback remains a particular focus, despite the speed and technical qualities that made her Olympic champion. “My coach always tells me that I’m so strong and so fast. We just need to work a little on the mental side. I have to trust my body and trust my feelings,” she explained, recognising that confidence must be rebuilt through competition as well as training.

Her bronze medal against Pont demonstrated that those qualities are returning, even if her semi-final defeat against Gyertyas showed that there is still work to do. Keldiyorova is not yet producing the consistent results that characterised her Olympic campaign, but three tournaments have already brought measurable progress and renewed belief in her abilities.

Asked what advice she would give her future self, the Olympic champion summed up her approach with a message that reflected both the challenges of her comeback and her determination to succeed again: “Stay strong, believe in yourself and keep working hard.”

For Keldiyorova, Zagreb was therefore about more than a bronze medal. It was confirmation that the connection between her body, her confidence and her judo is returning, one competition at a time.

Interview: International Judo Federation. Competition results: JudoInside. Quotations lightly edited for clarity.

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