Narek Vardanian, an 18-year-old Armenian judoka who represents Sweden, beat Turkey’s Ibrahim Demirel in the round of 32 in the men’s 73kg division at the 2026 World Judo Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, reports Zartonk Sports.
Vardanian won his opening two contests on Tuesday. He beat Paul Jouel Alima Fouda in the round of 64, then defeated Demirel to reach the last 16. His run ended there in a loss to Brazil’s Daniel Cargnin, a former Olympic and world medalist.
The men’s 73kg was one of the largest divisions in Baku, with 50 judoka in the draw at the National Gymnastics Arena. Reaching the round of 16 at the senior World Championships stands among the strongest results of Vardanian’s young career.
Vardanian has built his record in European competition. He won the 2026 European Cup among seniors in Riga in March, beating Moldova’s Vlad Mitru in the final, and took silver at the 2025 Junior European Championships, both at 73kg. He is also a Swedish national champion in the category.
The 2026 World Judo Championships run from October 4 to 11.
