Judo at 2024 Paris Olympics: How it works, Team USA stars, what else to know

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Judo at 2024 Paris Olympics: How it works, Team USA stars, what else to know

Chris Bumbaca, USA TODAY · USA TODAY Sports

Sat, Jul 27, 2024 ·

3 min read

When did judo become an Olympic sport?

The art of judo derives from the ancient Japanese martial art of jiu-jitsu. The credit for the formal founding of Judo, which means "the gentle way," goes to Dr. Jigoro Kano, who opened the first dojo in 1882 in Tokyo.

The sport made its Olympic debut on the men's program in 1964 and has been included in every Games since 1972. Women first competed in Judo in 1988 when it was introduced as a demonstration sport and it became a medal event four years later at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992. Judo became particularly popular in France during the late 20th century.

How does Olympic judo work?

The Olympic format features seven weight classes for both men and women (along with the mixed team competition). Matches last four minutes and go into overtime if the score is tied at the end of four minutes.

Each weight class starts with the Round of 64 and is halved with each passing round. After the quarterfinals, a repechage round ensues. Each weight class competes over the course of one day that lasts around eight hours in full.

Judo is judged based on three criteria: throwing opponents to the ground, immobilizing them or forcing them into submission (via joint lock or choke). Competitors seek "ippon," which means they immediately win a match, and that can be achieved by throwing an opponent to the mat on his or her back with strength, speed and control. "Waza-ari" is a lesser "ippon" and two "waza-ari" in one match immediately ends the match. Penalties can be assessed for a judoka's passiveness.

Who are the top Team USA athletes in judo?

Team USA qualified four athletes for judo – two men and two women. They are:

Angelica Delgado (women's 52 kg):This will be Delgado's third Olympics after she represented Team USA in 2016 and 2021. Her father, Miguel Delgado, was a former Cuba National Team judoka who fled the country in the 1980s.

Maria Laborde (women's 48 kg):The highest-seeded judoka on Team USA (10th), Laborde is competing in her first Olympics for the United States. The Cuban national received citizenship in 2022.

John Jayne (men's 90 kg):A dual citizen of both the U.S. and Great Britain, Jayne wrestled at the University of Chicago, where he continued to compete internationally in judo while pursuing a degree in mathematics. He's making his Olympic debut fresh off winning silver at the Senior Pan Am-Oceania Championships.

Jack Yonezuka (men's 73 kg):Yonezuka, 21, will be the youngest member of the U.S. contingent – but his bloodline is U.S. Judo royalty. His father is 1980 Olympian Nick Yonezuka, and he is the grandson of two-time Olympic coach Yoshisada Yonezuka, whose New Jersey-based judo club produced nine Olympians from 1980-2021.

What's the international landscape in Olympic judo?

Japan (96 medals) and South Korea (46 medals) have traditionally been the dominant nations in Olympic judo. Host nation France (57 medals) is another force and automatically qualified a judoka for every weight class. Brazil, Italy and Israel qualified athletes for every weight class except one.

Where is the judo venue at 2024 Paris Olympics?

Judo will take place in the Champ de Mars Arena, currently known as the Grand Palais Éphémère, a 10,000-square meter temporary facility constructed between the Eiffel Towers and the École Militaire – two of Paris' iconic buildings – near the Champ de Mars green. The temporary facility will be dismantled by the end of the year.