Raz Hershko defeated Célia Cancan (Photo by IJF/Gabriela Sabau, Emanuele Di Feliciantonio)
Raz Hershko of Israel defeated Frenchwoman Célia Cancan in an intriguing women’s +78 kg final atthe Hungary Grand Slam judo championships.
Hershko entered the Grand Slam as world number two and as one of the category’s most prominent athletes. The Paris 2024 Olympic silver medallist and 2023 world bronze medallist had already won the European title, the Tbilisi Grand Slam and the Upper Austria Grand Prix in 2026.
Cancan, 20, represents the next generation of French heavyweight judo. The 2025 junior world and European champion had continued her rapid progression on the senior circuit, earning grand slam bronze medals in Tbilisi and Ulaanbaatar this year, following her Zagreb Grand Prix victory in 2025.
Cancan’s reach was expected to pose problems for Raz Hershko, but she is now exceptionally experienced on the circuit and took advantage of a lapse in concentration from her opponent to launch an incredibly precise and powerful arai-goshi that sent the French judoka onto her back. It was ippon and a seventh grand slam gold medal for the Hershko.
“Winning another grand slam means a lot, especially mentally. After the Paris Olympics, I told myself that to continue I had to achieve things I’ve never done before. It took over ten years of daily hard work to build this mindset and tune out the noise but I learned that if you surround yourself with the right people and truly believe in yourself, you can achieve any dream. Heading into Baku, the expectation is always gold. That pressure is a good thing; I love the adrenaline, raising the flag, and hearing the anthem,” said Hershko.
Pavić turns the final around for gold
Japan’s Mao Izumi was edged out of the women’s -78kg title by a resurgent Petrunjela Pavić of Croatia.
Izumi, 29, brought proven experience to the contest. A two-time grand slam winner and 2019 Asian-Pacific champion, she returned to the podium at the Qazaqstan Barysy Grand Slam in 2025, taking silver, before earning bronze at the Tokyo Grand Slam later that year. She also placed fifth at the Tashkent Grand Slam in February.
Pavić, 25, has built a strong record across the European circuit. The 2022 European U23 champion won the Sarajevo European Open in 2025 and added bronze at the Dubrovnik Senior European Cup earlier this year. On paper, Pavic may not be as strong as Izumi, but judo doesn’t always follow a predicted route.
Pavić found herself trailing by a yuko and a waza-ari early on but a powerful sumi-gaeshi changed the course of the final completely. Initially awarded a waza-ari, the score was upgraded to ippon after a video review, bringing a liberating gold medal to the Croatian judoka.
Petrunjela Pavić had reasons to be satisfied, “It feels great to finish in style as a grand slam champion, especially turning the match around against a top Japanese opponent. Falling behind meant keeping a forward mindset, knowing I could do it again but throwing a Japanese opponent twice is no easy feat! Hearing my teammates cheer gave me a real boost as I walked onto the tatami. This victory proves I’m physically and mentally ready for world championships. My goal was always a medal at this coming worlds but now that objective feels much more realistic. With no time to celebrate, we’re heading straight to training camps in Bratislava and Germany to refine our technique before the worlds!”
Endovitskii takes gold with authority
Marek-Adrian Masak of Estonia found the going tough against a dominant Valerii Endovitskii of Russia in the the +100 kg final.
Masak, 19, arrived in Budapest with impressive momentum. The Tallinn European Open winner had claimed three junior European Cup titles in 2026 before taking bronze at the Junior European Championships in Podgorica a week earlier.
Endovitskii, world number nine, brought grand slam-winning experience to the final. The 26-year-old claimed gold at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam in 2024 and added European bronze in 2026.
Unlike the two bronze medal contests, the final did not end with ippon. Endovitskii nevertheless took a clear victory, scoring yuko twice, first with sode-tsuri-komi-goshi and then with o-uchi-gari. The gold went to Endovitskii, while Masak earned his first grand slam medal.
Valerii Endovitskii said, “Budapest is a special place for me. After we took three golds here at the last world championships, that winning mentality carried over and so I always feel confident competing here. My opponent in the final, from Estonia, was tall and strong, but young. We’ve sparred together in training camps before but he lacks senior international experience. He has a bright future and with more international training, he’ll be a tough competitor. As for what’s next whether it’s Baku, Abu Dhabi or Zagreb that’s up to the coaches; it’s a secret! I just hope to compete, whether in individual or mixed team events.”
Pirelli prevails in Golden Score
Italian Gennaro Pirelli clinched the men’s -100kg gold with a golden score against Jorge Fonseca of Portugal.
One of the most explosive judoka on the circuit, Fonseca, 33, brought an accomplished record to the final. The two-time world champion and Tokyo 2020 Olympic bronze medallist is also a two-time grand slam winner, while his 2026 campaign includes bronze at the Upper Austria Grand Prix.
Pirelli, world number two, arrived in Budapest in outstanding form. The 26-year-old European champion won the Ulaanbaatar Grand Slam and Lima Grand Prix in 2026, adding to a record that already included grand slam titles in Tokyo and Dushanbe.
Faced with Pirelli’s constant activity, Fonseca received an initial penalty. A false attack then brought a second penalty for the double world champion. With no score registered in normal time, the contest moved into golden score. Early in the additional period, a third penalty decided the contest and delivered victory to Gennaro Pirelli.
Gennaro Pirelli said, “I felt great today, which gives me the exact motivation I need as I prepare for the Baku World Championships. Against opponents like the Canadian and the Japanese, I focused on the grip fight and changing my attack strategy from right to left, which paid off well. Winning gold at the worlds has been my dream for a long time. I rely on myself and on my coach, who keeps me focused on taking things step by step. As a superstitious Neapolitan, I’m already focused on getting back to the gym on Tuesday to keep working.”
Schimidt secures third Grand Slam gold
Brazilian Guilherme Schimidt is now a three time winner. He defeated Serbia’s Boris Rutovic for the −90 kg final.
Schimidt arrived in Budapest as world number nine. The 25-year-old Brazilian was a two-time grand slam winner and a 2019 junior world bronze medallist. His 2026 campaign includes silver at the Qazaqstan Barysy Grand Slam and Qingdao Grand Prix, as well as bronze at the Tbilisi Grand Slam and Lima Grand Prix.
Rutovic came into the competition ranked fifteenth among seniors and second among juniors. The 20-year-old Serbian has enjoyed a breakthrough 2026 season, winning his first grand slam title at the Qazaqstan Barysy Grand Slam in Astana, again against Guilherme Schimidt, before adding bronze at the Ulaanbaatar Grand Slam to his growing list.
A cautious Schimidt received the first penalty of the final. The Brazilian was then penalised for a second time in the latter stages of the contest, putting him under real pressure. However, with less than a minute remaining, he slipped beneath his opponent and launched a perfectly timed seoi-otoshi. Initially awarded a waza-ari, the score was upgraded to ippon quickly. It was Schimidt’s third grand slam title and his second in Budapest.
Guilherme Schimidt said, “I am very happy as it has been a year since my surgery and my move to the -90 kg category. Winning my first -90 kg grand slam title here in Budapest, where I previously won at -81 kg, makes me feel extremely grateful. This is my fifth time in Budapest and my third medal here; I love the crowd’s energy and truly feel at home. Moving to -90 kg was mostly about adapting and earning international opportunities, especially given Brazil’s strong roster. Now I am fully adapted, I feel stronger without the harsh weight cut and am targeting the world championship gold medal.”
