World Ranking Leader +100kg Inal Tasoev

Inal Tasoev finished 2025 as the world’s leading heavyweight, holding both the +100kg world title and the number one position on the IJF World Ranking. Yet for the Russian judoka, the season was defined by far more than medals and statistics.

“The most important thing for me this year was the emotions I experienced throughout the entire season,” Tasoev reflected. For an athlete who has spent more than a decade competing at the highest level, those moments of intensity and challenge remain the real reward.

His gold medal at the 2025 World Championships in Budapest carried special meaning. Although he had already won the world title in 2023, this victory felt like personal redemption. “This time I truly stood on the podium where I deserved to be,” he said, referring to the demanding standards he sets for himself.

Tasoev’s career has been shaped by difficult lessons. One of the defining moments came at the 2019 World Championships in Tokyo where defeat forced him to reconsider his preparation. “I realised I lacked experience and needed to work much harder,” he recalled. That mindset has guided his development ever since.

Rather than seeking an easy path, Tasoev deliberately chooses the toughest tournaments such as Paris, Tbilisi, Tokyo and the World Championships. “If you ever have to choose between an easy or difficult path, choose the difficult one,” he says.

Known for dynamic, attacking judo, Tasoev has also built his reputation on spectacular throws that defy heavyweight stereotypes. Guided by coach Irbek Ailarov and driven by an enduring inner fire, the self-styled “Gold Hunter” continues his pursuit of Olympic success and further dominance in the heavyweight division.

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