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Life and career of Daria Bilodid: the youngest 2-time World champion

Life and career of Daria Bilodid: the youngest 2-time World champion

20 Sep 2021 17:30
JudoInside.com - Hans van Essen / judo news, results and photos

In 2018, Ukraine's Daria Bilodid became the youngest judo World champion in the sport's history, winning a gold medal at just 17. After her second win at the World championships in Tokyo, Daria has become a new icon in martial arts, embodying the beauty and femininity of female judo. Martial arts fans have even given her the fitting nickname "The Queen of Judo".

Daria is trained by her parents: father Gennady Bilodid and mother Svetlana Kuznetsova. Her mother is Daria's second in all starts and gives her a good luck kiss before the bout. Daria's father is a two-time European champion and a World championship medalist, so it's not surprising that Daria decided to link her life with judo since childhood, inspired by her dad's example (although her parents were against it at first).

Bilodid started to show good results early on, successfully competing among juniors under 21 already at 15. In 2015 Daria won the World and European Championships, and in 2017 she moved on to the adults, winning the European Championships in Warsaw.

In 2020 Daria became one of the most titled athletes in her weight class: 2 World and European golds and multiple victories in Grand Prix and Grand Slam tournaments.

The arsenal of the youngest 2-time world champion

Daria's main advantage over her rivals is anthropometry: her weight is only 48 kg, while her height is 172 centimeters. For comparison, the height of the Japanese Funa Tonaki, with whom the Ukrainian wrestled in the finals of the World Championships in Baku, was 148 centimetres. Long arms and legs are the leading tools in choosing the tactical actions of an athlete.

These benefits will help young Ukrainian judoka in her career and make her favourite in almost any fight. To profit from this data, judo fans can use trusted gambling operators from bookmaker-ratings.com.

In judo, just as in football, basketball or boxing, there is a variety of tactics that suit some more than others, thanks to anthropological data. In football, for example, a player who is 160 centimeters cannot play central defender, while in judo, a short-legged athlete cannot throw a kick, part of which is a kicking motion. Everyone has to use their strengths and techniques.

Firstly, it is worth noting that Daria is left-handed. Opponents are always challenging wrestlers with the opposite stance. Due to her height, the Ukrainian judoka often takes hold from above the belt. Such grapples are good because they put pressure on the opponent's shoulders and back and often make him bend down. The Ukraine judoka is an expert on the ground and nicknamed The Anaconda.

There's no point in talking about backhands or underhooks because they are the fundamental elements of all techniques. A chin-up is a tool to put your opponent off balance, while a turnbuckle is an essential move for throwing. It is with the tuck that almost every movement in judo begins. But the main advantage of Bilodid is that she can use these elements under her opponents' supporting leg. It's all thanks to her left-handed stance.

The entire judo technical arsenal is divided into several groups: throwing techniques and restraining techniques. Throwing techniques can be divided into throws made from a standing position and throws made from a falling position using mainly the hands, legs or hip and waist. Daria prefers using throwing techniques based on footwork. But it does not exclude the mandatory work of hands and body.

Life outside the tatami

Outside of sports, Daria is a modest and smiling girl. Bilodid's dream after finishing her career is to open a pastry shop. Daria loves sweets but can only afford them during the off-season because she has to sit on a diet and keep the weight down even between competitions.

The Ukrainian judoka is active on Instagram, posting photos not only from training but also from life, where she often takes part in various fashion photoshoots for various brands and Bilodid is ambassador for Mitsubishi.

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