At an age when most girls are worrying about their outfit, Ukrainain teenager Daria Bilodid has donned the judogi to create history by becoming the first judoka to win the World Judo Championship twice before the age of 19.
READ MORE: Flipping good! 17yo Ukrainian Bilodid is new senior judo world champ (PHOTOS/VIDEO)
Eighteen-year-old sensation Bilodid may look like she should be strutting on the catwalk, but the stunning youngster is more at home flipping opponents on the tatami, ruthlessly seeing off home favorite Funa Tonaki in the women’s 48kg final at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo on Sunday.
The dainty Kiev native’s killer moves saw her capture her second world title at the 2019 World Judo Championships – thus etching her name into the sports history books as the first judoka to win two consecutive world titles in an individual event before turning 19.
Bilodid defended the title she won last year in Baku, Azerbaijan, setting another record by becoming the youngest ever judoka to win the title – aged just 17.
“Today I managed to claim by second gold medal at the world championship! This year has been tough for me, I’ve been through a lot, but I am glad that I could prepare well for the championships and today I defended my title,” the young double champion joyously wrote on Instagram.
“I want to thank first and foremost my lovely parents, who always with me through the good and the bad!
“They are my main support and motivation! Thank you to all my loved ones, who are sincerely happy for me and support me.”
The daughter of former two-time European judo champ and world bronze medalist Gennadiy Bilodid, ‘Dasha’ comes from fighting stock, and has carried on the family tradition, with her father also acting as her trainer.
Gennadiy’s training style has gifted his protegee signature methods of victory – in which she wraps her body around an opponents to immobilize and maneuver a thudding flip to the mat – that has earned her the nickname ‘the anaconda.’
Contemplating the nickname, Daria dismissed the comparison and insisted she just likes to channel her “angry and aggressive” nature on the tatami to propel her towards medals.
“Many people think I fight like an anaconda,” she said, the Olympic channel reported. “But I just want to be angry and aggressive and I don’t want to fight like any animal, only like Daria Bilodid!
“I’m very angry and I have a very good concentration when I fight. Maybe in life I’m more shy, but in judo and in competition I think I need to be aggressive and keep my mind in good form.”
Bilodid has a figure lending itself to a gymnast or swimmer, not the rough and tumble of martial arts, and her gorgeous looks despite making it to the top of judo have seen her land a professional modeling contract.
Judo is a certainly a family affair for the Bilodids; last September in Baku, a 17-year-old Bilodid won her maiden world championship and then melted hearts by bursting into tears with her mother Svitlana on the podium.
Back then, Svitlana revealed that she initially had other, more conventional plans for her daughter in the sports world.
“My dream was to see Daria become a great champion of rhythmic gymnastics, but judo, never,” a nevertheless proud Svitlana told the International Judo Federation (IJF) during a joint interview.
Outside of judo, Bilodid is a keen follower of football and fan of Portuguese team Sporting Lisbon, on account of her belonging to the club’s judo team.
She has made trips to watch the team play in Portugal’s capital, as well as being presented with a shirt with her name on from club officials.
Source: RT