Katryna Esposito has won bronze in the women’s -48kg judo category at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, securing a podium finish for Malta at a second consecutive edition.
The competition took place at the SEC Centre on Friday, 31 July 2026, the opening day of the Games’ three-day judo programme. Official International Judo Federation results place India’s Asmita Dey first, Canada’s Heidi Quach second and Esposito among the two bronze medallists.
A Strong Opening Contest
Esposito began her campaign against Marie Thomas of Mauritius.
According to the supplied competition report, the Maltese judoka established control through her grips before scoring a waza-ari, the half-point advantage that secured her opening victory.
That result moved Esposito into a contest against Canada’s Heidi Quach, who was ranked above her going into the competition. The International Judo Federation’s entry list placed Quach at world ranking number 57 and Esposito at number 75.
Quach eventually won by ippon and advanced to the gold-medal final, leaving Esposito to compete for bronze.
Victory Against The Home Favourite
Esposito’s final opponent was Scotland’s Eva Ewing, who had reached the medal contest through the repechage.
Competing against the home judoka, Esposito reportedly scored early before applying an armlock. Ewing submitted, giving the Maltese athlete victory by ippon and confirming her place on the podium.
Official results list Ewing in fifth place, while Esposito finished third alongside Scotland’s Summer Shaw. Dey claimed gold and Quach finished with silver.
Bronze At Consecutive Commonwealth Games
The Glasgow result follows Esposito’s bronze medal in the same weight category at Birmingham 2022.
At those Games, she finished on the podium alongside England’s Amy Platten, while South Africa’s Michaela Whitebooi took gold and India’s Shushila Devi Likmabam won silver.
Returning to the podium four years later gives Esposito bronze medals at two consecutive Commonwealth Games. The achievement stands out not only because of the medal itself, but because she successfully repeated it in a different field, city and edition of the Games.
For Maltese sport, it is another international result built on consistency rather than a single breakthrough performance.
Judo competition at Glasgow 2026 continues at the SEC Centre until Sunday, 2 August.
