Denis Vieru still on top of the world (ranking)

The men at -66 kg the top 3 spots are occupied by highly present faces. 5 world medals, an Olympic medal, 4 Olympic appearances and additionally 55 World Judo Tour medals are spread between Vieru (MDA) at the top and his current runners up, Yondonperenlei (MGL) and Margvelashvili (GEO). They are each known for their specific styles, their ability to win when under pressure and their technical excellence.

However, there’s a 4th name on the list, just below them in the rankings, one with 4 world titles, an Olympic title and a name which inspires confidence and thoughts of guarantees. Hifumi Abe hasn’t lost a single contest since the summer of 2019 and, along with his little sister, he fully intends to continue his winning streak.

Profile Denis Vieru

World number one Denis Vieru of Moldova captured the gold medal at the Grand Slam in Paris in 2019. He won the European title in 2023 in Montpellier. He captured bronze at the 2019 (Tokyo) and 2022 (Tashkent) World Championships. Denis claimed the gold medal at the Grand Prix in Zagreb in 2021 and gold at the Grand Prix in Antalya in 2019 and Grand Slam in Baku in 2019. He won the Universiade in Napoli in 2019. He finished the year 2022 with gold at the World Masters. He clinched a bronze medal at the Grand Slam in Tokyo in at the end of 2023.