British Turkish Cypriot judoka Acelya Toprak has been crowned Commonwealth champion after winning gold for England in the women’s under-57kg competition at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
The South London athlete went one better than at Birmingham 2022, where she had to settle for silver, to secure her first Commonwealth Games title on Friday, 31 July.
Toprak began her campaign with an ippon victory over Vanuatu’s Kaina Delrieu before defeating fellow England judoka Lele Nairne in the semi-final.
She then faced India’s Yamini Mourya in a gruelling final that lasted seven minutes and entered golden score. The contest ended when Mourya was disqualified after receiving a third penalty, handing Toprak the gold medal.
“I’m really happy that it wasn’t a silver again. I’m happy to take the gold home,” Toprak said after the final, adding that the support of her club and coach had helped everything come together.
Born and raised in Lewisham, Toprak started judo at the age of four after watching her older brother and sister take part in the sport. She emerged as one of Britain’s brightest young judoka, winning European junior silver in 2017 and becoming the youngest winner of the European Open in Belgrade that same year. She later won gold at the Dubrovnik European Cup in 2021.
Her Commonwealth triumph follows an unusual period in her international career. After seven years representing Great Britain, Toprak switched allegiance to Azerbaijan in late 2023 as part of an attempt to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
She competed under the Azerbaijani flag for around 18 months before returning to the British judo programme in May 2025. Her comeback was followed by medals at the Tallinn European Open and Guadalajara Grand Prix, helping her earn selection for a second Commonwealth Games.
Toprak’s Glasgow success gives her a second consecutive Commonwealth medal and marks the biggest senior title of her career to date.
Main photo, top, Acelya Toprak with gold medal at Commonwealth Games 2026. Photo © Team England Commonwealth Games/ Facebook
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