Arman Adamyan finishes fifth at 2026 World Judo Championships in Baku

Armenian-born judoka Arman Adamyan, representing Russia, finished fifth at the 2026 World Judo Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan. Competing in the men's under-100 kg category, the former world champion reached the semifinals but suffered two consecutive defeats and missed out on a medal.

The 29-year-old made a strong start to the tournament, securing three victories. Adamyan first defeated Canada's Kyle Reyes before eliminating Zelym Kotsoiev of Azerbaijan, the reigning Olympic champion from Paris 2024, from medal contention.

In the quarterfinals, Adamyan overcame Uzbekistan's Tulkinbek Turdiev to secure a place among the final four competitors.

However, his hopes of competing for gold ended in the semifinals, where he lost to Japan's Dota Arai.

In the bronze medal contest, Adamyan faced fellow Russian representative Niyaz Bilalov. Bilalov emerged victorious, leaving Adamyan in fifth place overall.

As a result, the 2023 world champion was unable to repeat his previous success and left the championships in Baku without a medal.

Georgia's Ilia Sulamanidze claimed the world title in the men's under-100 kg division after defeating Japan's Dota Arai in the final. The bronze medals went to Russia's Niyaz Bilalov and Italy's Gennaro Pirelli.

Notably, this was Adamyan's second consecutive fifth-place finish at a major international competition in 2026. Earlier in the year, he also narrowly missed the podium at the Ulaanbaatar Grand Slam.