Marusa Stangar aiming to retain Dushanbe Crown

Last year’s podium-topper at -48kg Marusa Stangar (SLO) returns to Dushanbe as the sixth seed, hoping to rediscover the form that won her back-to-back grand prix gold medals in May and June 2023. To reach the final again, she will have to get past the recent European Championship bronze medallist Catarina Costa (POR) and one of the dangerous Mongolian duo Baasankhuu Bavuudorj and Narantsetseg Ganbaatar, seeded third and sixth, respectively. If that wasn’t tricky enough, Stangar faces a potential final with her old nemesis and the top seed Milica Nikolic (SRB).

The seeded players won't have all the fun, however, as there are many potential challengers for the podium places. Arguably the most notable is the Swedish prodigy Tara Babulfath who, at just 18 years of age, is already a grand slam winner having struck gold in Baku earlier this year.

Double grand slam medallist Leyla Aliyeva (AZE) will be looking to go one better than her 5th place finish here last year, while Brazil and Türkiye each have two athletes present who are locked in tight battles for their respective Olympic places. Natasha Ferreira currently leads Amanda Lima in the rankings for Brazil, though neither are in a qualifying position. Meanwhile for Türkiye, Sila Ersin sits within the continental quota, with compatriot Tugde Beder only a few places behind. A good result for either of the trailing athletes could easily turn the tables.

Profile Marusa Stangar

Marusa Stangar (1998) finished ninth at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games and earning a bronze medal at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China. Stangar has competed at World Championships since 2018, with her best result being seventh place at her debut in 2018. She also earned bronze at the 2019 European Games in Minsk (-48kg) and has collected a total of 14 World Cup medals, including three victories.