Dushanbe -78 kg: Lytvynenko’s fast finish, Dutch bronze brings European shine

The -78 kg category was the lighter of the two women’s divisions on the third and final day of the 2026 Dushanbe Grand Slam, and it carried a feeling of inevitability from the start. Yelyzaveta Lytvynenko (UAE), a 2022 world medallist, looked like the athlete everyone had to chase. Judo can flip a script in seconds, but the draw never seemed to find a way to truly shake her.

In the final, Lytvynenko wasted no time after “hajime”. Her first attack didn’t score, yet it signalled the pace and the intent, and Yael Van Heemst (NED) was gradually pushed onto the back foot. For Van Heemst, simply being back on the world stage after multiple serious injuries was already a hard-earned return.

After 1 minute and 18 seconds, the finish arrived: a massive hip throw drove Van Heemst onto her back for Ippon. It marked Lytvynenko’s tenth medal on the World Judo Tour, and her first Grand Slam gold in Dushanbe.

When the pressure keeps rising, one clean moment can end everything.

Lytvynenko said the win felt special with a crowd that supports and understands judo, adding that she felt strong early and managed her energy so she could close the day on top.

Europe still had plenty to smile about, thanks to the Netherlands. Marit Kamps (NED), recently moving down to -78 kg after time away from the heavyweights, grabbed bronze against Hongtao Wu (CHN). Wu scored first with a yuko, but Kamps immediately corrected the balance by finding the distance she wanted and firing a fast, powerful O-uchi-gari for Waza-ari. She protected that lead to the end with an upright posture and a positive, attacking approach.

A new weight class, the same confidence: Kamps made it count.

The second bronze match, Maidelines Gorguet-Veranes (ROU) vs Alexandra Riabchenko (RUS), lacked clear preparation before attacks and quickly turned into a contest of Shido. With two penalties each on the board, the decisive third Shido went to the Romanian, leaving Riabchenko relieved with her first Grand Slam medal.

Source: JudoInside