Judo/World Championships: Patrícia Sampaio wins bronze medal in -78 kg

Judoka Patrícia Sampaio won the bronze medal in the -78 kg category at the Budapest World Championships today, after defeating Chinese Zhenzhao Ma in the decisive fight, by 'hansoku make'.

Sampaio won her first medal at a World Cup, after a year in which she won an Olympic bronze medal in Paris2024 and was European champion in April this year, just a few months after also winning the Paris Grand Slam.

The 25-year-old judoka from Tomar, who was the world leader in her weight category at these World Championships, leaves Budapest with four victorious fights and one defeat, in the semi-finals against the German Anna Monta Olek.

Throughout the day at the László Papp Arena, Sampaio defeated the Croatian Petrunjela Pavic (yuko), the South Korean Minju Kim (two yuko), the Brazilian Karol Gimenes, in a fight that required extra time, with the Portuguese scoring another yuko, and in the fight for bronze the Chinese Zhenzhao Ma.

In the semi-finals, in a fight that was a repeat of the final in April of the European Championships, which Sampaio won, the Portuguese judoka had a less successful strategy and was quickly conditioned, with two penalties even before the halfway point of the fight.

Despite the pressure, the judoka was unable to impose her explosive judo, with the fight often dragging on in the 'ne waza' [ground fight], and it was in the last seconds, 37 minutes from the end of the four minutes, that Olek scored for yuko, which would give her the victory, relegating the Portuguese Olympian to the fight for bronze.