Luana Marton Wins World Gold, Sister Viviana Eyes Double
Luana Marton, who moved up two weight classes to avoid her Olympic champion sister Viviana, won gold at the World Championship in Wuxi despite being ranked 91st, with Viviana now set to compete for a historic family double.
A year ago, Luana Marton made a big decision: she moved up two weight classes, from -57 kg to -67 kg. Staying in the middle category (-62 kg) would have put her directly against her sister, Viviana. That would have been awkward for the family, and also a tough choice, as Viviana is the reigning Olympic champion. At first, this move seemed incredibly bold and risky, even though Luana and her team were fully confident in her choice.
Her preparation for the World Championship wasn't very smooth. In 2025, she had only one major win, at the Spanish Open in April. Before that, she earned bronze medals in Belgium and Great Britain, and later in September, another bronze in Serbia. Overall, she had won five fights and lost five that year.
These weren't the strongest results for an athlete aiming for the top. When she arrived at the Wuxi event, Luana faced a tough challenge. She was ranked 91st in her new weight class, meaning she needed to win six fights to repeat the gold medal she had won two years prior in Baku.
"I'm going to focus on what I know," said Luana, who was born in Tenerife and holds Hungarian nationality through her parents. "If I train 100% these days, I believe we'll have a chance at gold." She made this statement during a training camp in mid-August in Los Cristianos with her club, Hankuk from Madrid.
Luana brought that strong determination to the mat this Tuesday. She focused on her own performance, defeating each opponent in her path. In the round of 32, she narrowly beat Nada Laaraj from Morocco (4-4 and 0-6). Then, in the round of 16, she faced American Kristina Teachout, who had won bronze at the Paris Games (after the repechage) and had lost to Luana's sister, Viviana, in the quarterfinals there. This time, there was no chance for revenge, as Luana dominated with scores of 1-11 and 0-8.
After her win against Teachout, Luana faced Matea Jelic from Croatia, winning 2-0 (7-2 and 4-2). This victory brought her to the quarterfinals, where she met Jie Song from China. Luana lost the first round (8-3) but fought back to win the next two (5-2 and 6-0), guaranteeing herself a medal.
Her fifth fight of the day was an almost "sisterly" duel against Lena Moreno, a rising star in Spanish taekwondo and a training partner from her Hankuk club. Lena had been having an excellent year. It was a tough match, but Luana maintained her momentum, winning 3-6 and 2-2 with a superior performance. Lena, 19, also from Guadalajara like the Marton sisters, took home the bronze medal – the first for Spain at the Wuxi event.
Just like in Baku in 2023, Luana had reached the final. Her opponent was Milena Titoneli from Brazil. Luana dominated the first round with an 8-1 win, putting her within reach of another gold medal. She then secured her victory by playing strategically in the second round (2-1), once again claiming the top prize.
Two years after her win in Baku – and echoing her sister's celebration at the Paris Games – Luana leaped into the arms of her coach, Suvi Mikkonen. She had won gold despite starting as the 91st-ranked athlete. For her Finnish coach, the joy of this embrace made all the effort worthwhile, even with her student now competing 10 kilograms heavier.
Two months earlier, Luana had made a bold prediction: "My sister Viviana will also be a World Champion, and I believe she could be an Olympic Champion. We will exchange golds." Luana's victory in Wuxi keeps this prediction alive, and given Viviana's performance and ranking, it seems very likely to come true.
This Wednesday, it's Viviana Marton's turn to compete in the -62 kg category. As the reigning champion from the Paris 2024 Games, she enters this global event ranked number one in both the Olympic and world rankings. Her impressive 2025 record of 16 wins and only three losses speaks for itself. She has won at the Opens in Great Britain, Serbia, Spain, Germany, and Poland, only missing a medal at the Charlotte Grand Prix where she lost in the quarterfinals.
Viviana's near-perfect performance leading up to the China event gives her an advantage: she only needs to win five fights – one less than her sister – for the Marton sisters to achieve a historic double. If she succeeds, half of Luana's prediction will have already come true.