Georgii Zantaraia and Idalys Ortiz are World Championships legends

Without Teddy Riner Cuban judo star Idalys Ortiz is the one with the most World Championships medals fighting in Tokyo. The Cuban heavyweight captured seven World Championships medals in her career. In 2009 she won her first and in 2013 and 2014 she took the world title.

Ortiz is followed by Colombian triple World Champion Yuri Alvear and Georgii Zantaraia of the Ukraine. Zantaraia won the world title in 2009 and took five consecutive medals in a row until 2014. Last year he claimed the bronze in Baku adding his sixth. Yuri Alvear is not among the seeded athletes this year, but the Colombian and World Championships is always a love game. Despite the modest judo country she is an exceptional talent that won the title three times. Last year she won her fifth consecutive medal and took her first in 2009 in Rotterdam. Since 2009 eight individual editions of the worlds were organized by the IJF. In 2011 and 2017 also an additional Open Championship was held.

Frenchman Teddy Riner won 11 World Championships medals, 10 titles, one silver medal in 2010, his last loss, in the open category. Also Belgian Ingrid Berghmans won 11 medals in the eighties. Both Riner and Berghmans won medals at Open Championships. Ryoko Tani is the only female athlete who won eight medals in the same weight category. Teddy Riner won all eight world championships editions since 2007 where he appeared in his category +100kg.

Clarisse Agbegnenou (FRA), Mayra Aguiar (BRA), Telma Monteiro (POR) and Varlam Liparteliani (GEO) can also catch their sixth World championships medal. The Georgian already won five medals in a row and is the world number one U100kg. Also Agbegnenou won five medals in a row and will defend the world title in Tokyo.

There is still doubt if Riner will compete. There are 17 places taken in the French team of 18 available. The registration is closed, but intil the draw federations can shuffle with the names. Teddy Riner could theoretically take the place of an an injured athlete and not everyone is fit in the French team. 

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