Italian judoka Gennaro Pirelli claims gold in Budapest, locks in world number one ranking
Gennaro Pirelli has extended his winning streak to 18 consecutive victories after claiming gold at the Grand Slam in Budapest, a result that confirms his position as the world's top-ranked athlete in the under-100 kg category. The Italian, who competes for the Fiamme Oro police sports group, won all five of his matches at the Hungarian tournament, capping a run that has seen him collect four tournament wins this season.
The victory in Budapest follows earlier triumphs at the European Championships in Tbilisi, the Grand Slam in Ulaanbaatar and the Grand Prix in Lima, establishing Pirelli as the favourite for next month's World Championships in Baku. The revised World Ranking List published on 14 September places him ahead of Brazil's Leonardo Gonçalves.
Golden Score decisive in final against Portugal's Fonseca
Pirelli's path to the title included a mix of dominance and tactical precision. He opened with two yuko against Japan's Yuta Kasai, then threw Britain's Max Gregory for ippon. He defeated Romania's Rares Arsenie by accumulated penalties before needing just 41 seconds to dispatch Russia's Niiaz Bilalov in the semi-final, again by ippon.
The final against Portugal's Jorge Fonseca — a two-time world champion — went to Golden Score, where Pirelli prevailed by accumulated sanctions. "Today I felt great and it's exactly the motivation I needed ahead of the World Championships," Pirelli said. "Against opponents like the Portuguese and the Japanese, I focused on the grip battle and on changing the attack from right to left, a choice that paid off."
The judoka, who is from Naples, added: "Winning gold at the Worlds has always been my dream. I trust my abilities and my coach, who helps me stay focused one step at a time."
Los Angeles 2028 cycle begins
Pirelli's 2026 results now count toward the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic cycle, which officially began with the Grand Slam in Ulaanbaatar in June. The qualification window for Paris 2024 closed on 23 June 2024, and Pirelli had already secured his place for those Games by 5 May 2024.
Italy's delegation for Paris 2024 included 13 judoka, with Pirelli joined by athletes such as Alice Bellandi, Manuel Lombardo and Odette Giuffrida. His current world number one ranking positions him as a leading contender for Los Angeles, where qualification will again depend on points accumulated through the IJF World Tour.
Pirelli said his immediate focus was returning to training. "As a superstitious Neapolitan, my only thought is to get back in the gym on Tuesday and keep working."
The World Championships in Baku run from 4 to 11 October.
