Kyiv -- Assyrian-Ukrainian heavyweight judoka Yakiv "Yasha" Khammo, an Assyrian athlete who has steadily built a reputation on the international judo circuit, began the 2026 season with mixed results but renewed ambitions as he looks toward the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Khammo, who was born on 11 June 1994, in Donetsk, Ukraine, and now lives in Kyiv, first stepped onto the mat at the age of eight. Over the years he has grown into one of Ukraine's prominent competitors in the men's +100 kg category, representing the country at major international tournaments and two Olympic Games.

He first appeared on the Olympic stage at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, where he finished ninth in his weight class. At the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics, held in 2021, Khammo just missed placing in the medals, losing in a bronze medal match. He continued to compete among the world's top heavyweights, adding to a career that already included podium finishes at prestigious events, including a bronze medal at the 2021 World Judo Masters in Doha.

Having missed qualification for the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, Khammo has renewed hope leading up to the 2028 Los Andeles Summer Olympics. The 2026 season opened on a positive note for the Assyrian-Ukrainian judoka. On 14 February, Khammo claimed the gold medal at the Ljubljana European Open, a victory that reaffirmed his competitive presence in the heavyweight division.

However, the momentum slowed less than a month later. On 6 March, Khammo was eliminated in the Round of 32 at the Grand Prix Upper Austria, an early exit that underscored the fierce competition among the sport's global elite.

Khammo now turns his attention to the Tbilisi Grand Slam, scheduled for 20 March, where many of the world's leading judokas are expected to compete. The tournament represents another opportunity for the Assyrian-Ukrainian heavyweight to strengthen his standing on the international circuit.

As he approaches his early thirties -- traditionally still a competitive age for heavyweight judokas -- Khammo's longer-term focus is increasingly shifting toward qualification for the 2028 Olympic Games. For an athlete who has already competed on judo's biggest stage, the coming years could represent both a final Olympic chapter and a chance to leave a deeper mark on the sport.