Patrícia Sampaio is on a roll. The Olympic medalist judoka is set to compete for bronze at the Tbilisi Grand Slam. Her opponent? Barchinoy Koditova from Uzbekistan.
Sampaio’s journey to the bronze match wasn’t easy. She lost to Colombia’s Brenda Olaya in the semifinals. The match ended with Olaya’s immobilization win at 2 minutes and 15 seconds.
Before that, Sampaio dominated. She beat Brazil’s Beatriz Freitas in just 29 seconds. Then, she took down Croatia’s Petrunjela Pavic in a mere 12 seconds.
Sampaio’s fans are buzzing. A tweet from the official Judo account reads: “Trademark Sampaio. The Olympic medalist is on fire 🔥🇵🇹”
This isn’t Sampaio’s first big win. In February, she won the prestigious Paris Grand Slam. That victory kicked off the 2025 World Judo Tour.
Now, Sampaio is focused on the European Championships in Podgorica, happening from April 23 to 26. She’s currently ranked 6th in the world.
The Tbilisi Grand Slam is a key stop on the road to the LA 2028 Olympics. Sampaio’s performance will be closely watched. Can she bring home the bronze?
