Japan storms Paris with five golds

Paris has a habit of telling stories, and this weekend it told several at once. The tournament opened with French gold, closed with French gold, and never really let the atmosphere drop in between. From the first block to the final heavyweight contest, Bercy felt exactly like it is supposed to feel. Loud, demanding and absolutely unforgiving.

France set the tone immediately in the women’s U48kg. In a field of 23 athletes, Shirine Boukli once again showed that Paris is her house. In a tense final against China’s Wenna Zhuang, Boukli controlled the gripping exchanges, dictated the rhythm and never let the contest drift. It was not flashy. It was authoritative. Gold for France, noise in the stands, message sent.

That message only got louder in the women’s U57kg, one of the deepest categories of the weekend with 25 competitors. Sarah-Léonie Cysique was relentless all day and carried that same pressure into the final against Japan’s Akari Omori. High pace, clear intent, no hesitation. Cysique imposed her judo and delivered France a second gold, feeding the crowd and the momentum.

Sunday night belonged to the heavyweights. In an all-French final at women’s +78kg, Romane Dicko overcame Julia Tolofua to take gold. That made it three French titles on home soil and confirmed Dicko’s status as one of the division’s dominant forces. France closed the event with three gold, one silver and five bronze medals. Depth. Consistency. Job done.

And yet, as often happens in Paris, France were not the ones at the very top of the medal table.

That honour went to Japan. Again.

Five gold medals, spread across weight categories and across both days, underlined the sheer depth of the Japanese squad. There was nothing accidental about it. In the men’s divisions alone, Takeshi Takeoka (-66kg), Yuhei Oino (-81kg), Goki Tajima (-90kg), Dota Arai (-100kg) and Kanta Nakano (+100kg) all survived brutally deep draws to take gold. The men’s under 81kg alone featured 50 athletes. There were no easy routes anywhere.

Japan’s women were just as present, stacking podium finishes and once again reminding everyone why their system continues to set the benchmark at Grand Slam level.

One of the weekend’s defining moments came in the women’s under 52kg, a category packed with 29 judoka. Distria Krasniqi claimed her fourth Grand Slam Paris title, a number that barely sounds real until you see it written down. Olympic champion, multiple-time European champion, world medallist and four-time World Masters winner, Krasniqi looked exactly as she always does in Paris. Calm. Sharp. In control. Some athletes win here. Others belong here. Krasniqi is firmly in the second group.

In the women’s under 63kg, the gold went to Rafaela Silva, and it felt significant far beyond the category. Olympic champion in Rio 2016, world champion in 2013 and a defining figure in women’s judo for more than a decade, Silva continues to reinvent herself. From junior world gold in 2008 to 19 World Cup victories and recent successes in Antalya and Rio, her Paris triumph added another chapter to an already remarkable career. Aggressive, composed and fully present, she showed once again why she remains relevant at the very top.

Beyond the gold medals, Paris delivered its usual depth. Men’s under 73kg featured 48 athletes, under 66kg had 47, while women’s under 70kg drew 36 competitors. From the opening rounds, the level was high and the margins were thin.

Azerbaijan, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, Brazil, Kosovo and Hungary all left Paris with gold medals, reinforcing how global success at Grand Slam level has become.

In the end, the Grand Slam of Paris 2026 did exactly what it always does. It challenged reputations, rewarded preparation and amplified emotion. French gold on home soil. Japanese depth at full volume. Statement wins from athletes like Krasniqi and Silva. Paris reminded everyone why this tournament remains the benchmark.

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