Russian national judo team head coach Dmitry Morozov has urged calm after his squad won only one medal during the opening three days of the World Judo Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan.
In comments reported by sports broadcaster Match TV, Morozov insisted that athletes and supporters must remain focused on upcoming bouts rather than drawing early conclusions from initial losses.
Morozov stated that the team should never feel intimidated and needed to concentrate entirely on what lay ahead, adding that broad conclusions were unnecessary at this point in the competition.
The early setback for the Russian team came as competition continued on 6 October with title bouts in two weight classes: the men's under 73 kilogram division and the women's under 57 kilogram division.
Japanese competitors dominated the day by winning both available gold medals, with Ryuga Tanaka taking victory in the men's under 73 kilogram category and Akari Omori claiming the women's under 57 kilogram title.
Early eliminations in Baku
Russian judokas faced a difficult day on the mats on 6 October, with several team members suffering early eliminations. In the men's under 73 kilogram competition, Danil Lavrentev advanced to the round of 16 before being defeated by Dayan Boulemtafes of France.
The women's squad also experienced early exits in the under 57 kilogram tournament. Olga Mukhina lost her opening bout in the first round to Adriana Rodriguez Salvador of Spain, while teammate Irina Zueva was eliminated in the round of 32 by Ana Viktorija Puljiz of Croatia.
Russia's sole medal of the championships so far was earned on 4 October, the opening day of competition, when Sabina Giliazova secured a bronze medal in the women's under 48 kilogram category.
Tournament background and schedule
The World Judo Championships are organized annually by the International Judo Federation and stand as the sport's premier international event alongside the Olympic Games. Competitors battle through single elimination knockout brackets across seven weight categories for men and seven for women.
In international judo matches, athletes aim to achieve victory through throw techniques, hold downs, or submissions during four-minute regulation contests, with early round defeats resulting in immediate elimination from the main draw.
Host city Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan situated on the Caspian Sea, is staging the world championships from 4 October to 11 October. Japanese athletes traditionally set the standard at the event, as Japan is the historical birthplace of judo and regularly tops the international medal standings.
Broadcast provider Match TV is Russia's primary sports network covering major international events. With the tournament running through 11 October, Russia still has opportunities to add to its medal count in the remaining weight classes.
