Angelika Szymanska (POL) and Manon Deketer (FRA) faced each other in the -63 kg final. Ranked 14th in the world before Lausanne, 26-year-old Szymanska had already collected bronze medals at the 2026 European Championships and Tashkent Grand Slam, following silver at the Zagreb Grand Prix in 2025. In the semi-final, she eliminated Clarisse Agbegnenou with an opportunistic yuko in the closing seconds of a very tight contest.
Final, Angelika Szymanska (POL) vs Manon Deketer (FRA).
Deketer, 28 and ranked sixth in the world, arrived with an exceptional record of recent results. A world bronze medallist in 2022, she had won European silver and Tashkent Grand Slam bronze already in 2026. The previous season, she had claimed gold at the Qingdao Grand Prix and silver medals at both the Paris and Tbilisi grand slams.
Gold medallist, Angelika Szymanska (POL).
The final remained finely balanced until the last 20 seconds when Angelika Szymanska produced impressive groundwork to secure an arm lock for ippon, earning her the gold medal.
Bronze medal contest, Joanne Van Lieshout (NED) vs Kirari Yamaguchi (JPN).
The new title-holder for the Lausanne Grand Slam -63 kg category explained her feelings, “It feels amazing! It was my dream to fight my idol Clarisse, so winning against her makes this an amazing day. We had really tough preparation in the training camp with a lot of fights and conditioning so I felt well-prepared and I’m happy the hard work paid off. After the Olympics, it was a tough time for me, so I want to thank everyone who helped me get back, especially my physio, Kasia Wiśniewska, as this was her last tournament with us. The crowd was amazing too, almost like the Paris Grand Slam!”
The first bronze medal contest saw Joanne Van Lieshout (NED) face Kirari Yamaguchi (JPN). Renata Zachova (CZE), a two-time European champion, then took on Clarisse Agbegnenou (FRA). Olympic champion in Tokyo in 2021, six-time individual world champion and Olympic bronze medallist in Paris in 2024, Agbegnenou was once again in contention for a World Judo Tour podium place after a long break following the birth of her second child.
Bronze medal contest, Renata Zachova (CZE) vs Clarisse Agbegnenou (FRA).
Yamaguchi took an early lead with a yuko, which proved sufficient to secure her bronze medal. In the second bronze medal contest, Agbegnenou stepped onto the tatami with clear determination. Her semi-final defeat appeared not to have affected her against the double European champion. A commanding yuko in the final minute secured the French judoka a bronze medal.
She had come to Lausanne for gold but left with bronze and the satisfaction of a job well done, having found important reference points following her long break.
Bronze Medal Fights (-63 kg)