Christophe Massina: A 20 Year Odyssey

April 2024 brought a rush of memories to someone we see on the circuit at all major events. He’s a ...

Japan and France Celebrate IWD

As the Upper Austria Grand Prix is unfolding in Linz, the judo family also gather together on the other ...

The Olympic Champions (30): Thierry Rey (FRA)

Interviewing an Olympic champion is something special and always delivers thought-provoking words and ...

150 Days To Go, Part Two: Why Promote the Biggest Sporting Event on Earth?

150 days to go! That’s all, just 150 days until we are revelling in the mastery and enormous joy the ...

150 Days To Go, Part One: Getting a Feel For Paris

There are only 150 days left until the Paris Olympic Games opens its doors to our judo family, inviting ...

We Have Big Dreams

There are exactly 160 days until the Olympics and 193 days until the Paralympics. For France it is all ...

Shirine Boukli: Being in This Team

Shirine Boukli is adored in Paris. She lit up the Accor Arena last weekend with her performances and ...

The Olympic Champions (29): Emilie Andeol (FRA)

Interviewing an Olympic champion is something special and always delivers thought-provoking words and ...

Paris GS 2024: Eyes Full of Stars

The Paris Grand Slam 2024 will leave its mark, that’s for sure. First of all because it attracted a ...

+100kg: Teddy Riner Sets a New Record with 8 Victories in Paris

This is the category that 15,000 spectators were waiting for and above all he is the champion that everyone ...

-100: Wolf hunts Gold in Paris

Last week in Portugal, we highlighted the great return to the highest level of the double world champion ...

+78kg: Dicko Sets the Tone for the Months Ahead

Number one seed Raz Hershko (ISR) did her job and did it well all the way to the semi-final. Number two ...

-78kg: Wagner is Just One World Champion Too Many For Bellandi

Current world champion Inbar Lanir (ISR) started the day at the top of the draw sheet, perhaps a prestigious ...

-90: For the Second Time in a Row, Zgank Writes his Name on Top

Mihael Zgank (TUR) is in good form at the moment, to say the least. Already a winner a week ago in Portugal, ...

Jossinet is Back at Home

The crowd in Paris is not simply an audience of spectators, that is only part of the composition. In ...

-73kg: Japanese and Georgian Styles Clash in a Final of Debutants

This category, full of exciting judoka from several generations, was set to raise the roof of the Bercy. ...

-81kg: Casse of Course

Who to follow today in the -81kg category? It’s a big question to which there are many answers. Alpha ...

-70kg: Butkereit on Top for the First Time

In the -70kg category, the public once again had the opportunity to make their thunderous voices heard. ...

Judo Celebrates Unity, Fraternity and Peace in Paris

The opening ceremony of the 50th edition of the Paris Grand Slam took place before the final block.

-57kg: Mokdar Surprises World Number One and the Whole Public

The big question on everyone's lips this morning was simple, were we going to once again witness a duel ...

Paris, We Love You!

Paris, Oh Paris! Every year we all look forward to the opening of the Paris Grand Slam. We know that ...

-66kg: It's Japan for Gold, but Who?

The first pool of the category demands some discussion. Number one seed and widely appreciated technician ...

-52kg: Krasniqi on her Way to Paris 2024

By observing Chelsie Giles during the hotel breakfast a few hours before the start of competitions we ...

-60kg: A First in Paris, a Third in Total for Mkheidze

Dressed in his beautiful red back patch and with a deserved top seeding, Francisco Garrigos (ESP) attacked ...

-48kg: A First Paris Gold for Boukli

The home favourite coming into the Accor Arena this morning was without a doubt Shirine Boukli. It is ...

50 Years of History

The Paris Grand Slam, perhaps even more so this year, is an unmissable event on the World Judo Tour. ...

After Portugal, Next Stop, Paris!

The curtain has just fallen on Grand Prix Portugal 2024 and all eyes are already turning towards the ...

200 Days to Go

Not long ago we were counting the years before the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. It is now in days that we ...

Jean-Luc Rougé Awarded 10th Dan

The news was just released that Jean-Luc Rougé (FRA) has just been added to an exclusive group of outstanding ...

France Judo Make First Stage Selections for Their Home Olympics

It isn’t the whole team just yet but we now have the first selections for the home team for the Paris ...

A European Cauldron Stirs up Plenty of Spice From Home

Ahead of the European Championships, Cedric Revol was the French number one at -60kg, but only since ...

A Life Dedicated to Judo

As the women were in action today during the Veterans World Championships Abu Dhabi 2023, the Veterans ...

The Olympic Champions (22): Clarisse Agbegnenou (FRA)

Interviewing an Olympic champion is something special and always delivers thought-provoking words and ...

The Olympic Champions (17): Severine Vandenhende (FRA)

Interviewing an Olympic champion is something special and always delivers thought-provoking words and ...

Solidification

Jean-Luc Rougé is a keen observer of world judo, undoubtedly one of the most experienced experts and ...

The Deep End

In February 2022, we left Patrice Rognon at the dawn of a new challenge. The day after the Paris Grand ...

It's All About Collaboration

Vladimir Barta is the IJF Head Sport Director. During the Paris 2024 Games, he will also occupy another ...

Successful Together

Larisa Kiss, Head of International Relations for the IJF, was an important observer of the test event, ...

The World Cadet Mixed Team Champions are...

After 4 intense, thrilling, joyous days of individual competition, the best cadets in the world have ...

The Games of a New Era Are Only a Year Away!

Everyone only talks about that, already, only thinks about that. Just turn on the TV or read the sports ...

The Awakening of the Phoenix

Do you know Ugo Legrand (FRA) or should we say, do you remember Ugo Legrand? We definitely do. Born ...

An Exceptional Event That Kept All its Promises

The second edition of the 2023 French Veterans Championship took place in Paris a few days ago. It closed ...

The Olympic Champions (5): Cathy Fleury (FRA)

Interviewing an Olympic champion is something special and always delivers some thought-provoking words ...

France Came Close But Japan Are the World Mixed Team Champions Again

The team event has long been a highlight of the world judo championships, especially so since the mixed-team ...

Shirine, Stay on the Right Road

At the World Championships in Qatar there was a very public, much-talked-about rivalry at -48kg, one ...

Clarisse Just Changed the World

We have always known that women have to stop competing once it’s time to start their families. It’s ...

A Life of Passion at the Service of Judo

Jean-Luc Rougé has been the IJF General Secretary for the last twelve years and after a career dedicated ...

Hands on, with Blandine Pont

Having won two grand slams back to back, Blandine Pont has made big waves both in French judo and the ...

500 to Go to Paris 2024!

15th March is a date that may seem trivial but it is not, not for all sports enthusiasts around the planet. ...

Coming soon: #RoadToParis2024!

Paris 2024 Olympic Games are around the corner. Coming soon the #RoadToParis2024

Paris 2024: a Sneak Peak

Following another hugely successful Paris Grand Slam in a sold-out Accor Arena, an IJF/EJU delegation ...

Clarisse Agbégnénou Meets The French Prime Minister

On Monday 6th February, the day after Grand Slam Paris 2023, the world and Olympic judo champion, Clarisse ...

It's Fitting for France To Be First

At the end of the preliminary rounds the cheers in the Bercy geared up like engines towards a finish ...

+78kg: A Korean Victory Denies the French Campaign

Romane Dicko was supposed to win today. It’s Paris, she’s the world number one and everyone loves ...

+100kg: Teddy Towers Over Paris for a Sixth Time

This category has a number of World Judo Tour stars in the mix but the French crowd is really here for ...

-70kg: The Junior Defeats Two World Champions for Gold

Barbara Matic, double world champion and Croatian heroine, took 9 seconds to win her first contest but ...

-78kg: Tcheumeo All the Way

Wins for New Zealand, Guinea and Ecuador shone in round one and suggested a new level of diversity may ...

-81kg: Cavelius Came Close but Tato Triumphs

The top half of the draw brought Grigalashvili (GEO) and Albayrak (TUR) to their rightful places in the ...

-90kg: Welcome Back Van T End

Bekauri arrived with the gold back patch reserved for Olympic champions. He always brings an exciting ...

-100kg: Korrel Takes a Second Gold for the Netherlands

Turoboyev (UZB) and Krpalek (CZE) must have been among the ones to watch for most people tuning in to ...

A Tribute to Cyrille Maret

For long minutes before the start of the final block of the second day of competition in Paris, the public ...

See You Soon Luc!

Luc Wuyts works for the Belga News Agency and for a daily newspaper in Belgium. He is a writter and has ...

Technical Analysis, Day 1: Consistency of Intention

IJF Referee Supervisor Carlo Knoester and IJF Head Referee Director Florin Daniel Lascau have had to ...

-63kg: Hard Working Sharir Is Rewarded

The -63kg women was another category where it was not good to be seeded number one, since Lucy Renshall ...

-57kg: Priscilla Levels Up

The quarter-final between world champions Jessica Klimkait (CAN) and Daria Bilodid (UKR) was a contest ...

-52kg: An Olympic Champion’s Masterclass

From her first fight of the day, French favourite, Olympic silver medallist Amandine Buchard, fought ...

-48kg: France Wins But It's Not Who You Think

We begin with Shirine Boukli, the home favourite. She won bronze at last year’s domestic extravaganza ...

-73kg: Gold and Silver for the One and Two

The first and most noticeable thing to write is that the seeding for the top 3 in the category was respected ...

-66kg: Underdogs Upset the Status Quo

An Baul (KOR) is pretty close to being a sure thing, right? Not here, not today! Battogtokh (MGL) scored ...

-60kg: Aghayev Upsets the Favourites

The category started with a bang, with the defeat of the world number one and top seed of the competition, ...

Ready to Make New History

The world liaises at the Accor Arena Bercy each and every year. Judo clubs from all over Europe, federation ...

Predict the Winners of Paris Grand Slam and Win Autographs from Japanese Stars!

The Paris Grand Slam (February 4-5) is fast approaching. It will give a good indication of the state ...

Teddy Riner Is in Kazakhstan

We love our champions and we love following them in their quest for medals and performance. Among them, ...

A Judoka's Life

Stéphane David knows his subject. As a former TV journalist (EuroSport and L'Equipe TV), then programme ...

World Judo Day in France

Due to the school holidays, the Judo Culture and Black Belts Committee of the Gironde Committee proposed ...

The sensei's speech

It is never easy to change your routine, especially for professional athletes. The pandemic has forced ...

10 key storylines for #JudoParis

The IJF presents 10 key storylines for #JudoParis, the first Grand Slam of the season, from Saturday ...

Wednesdays of the French team

The French Judo Federation created in 1994 an animation for its members. Since then, more than 150 actions ...

5 Must-See Preliminary Round Clashes

The stars of the IJF World Judo Tour are out in force at the Ekaterinburg Grand Slam this week but joining ...

5 Olympic medallists who need to impress in Morocco

#JudoMarrakech2019 Preview

From Martial Art to Olympic Sport - PART 5

An article on judo was published in the Olympic Review in January 1912. Even if the article was not signed, ...

From Martial Art to Olympic Sport - PART 4

British judo holds a special place in the history of world judo and can be related to the expansion of ...

It was beautiful: seeing, and appreciating, judo for the first time

My wife and I have been married for 27 years. Our first date was at a baseball game. This was a feint. ...

2019 Paris GS: A Colorful Event

An IJF World Judo Tour event is always an important moment for an athlete. The Paris Grand Slam is the ...

Kodokan Exhibition

The Kodokan Judo Institute (Kodokan) represents the origin of Judo that was started by Kano Jigoro Shihan ...

See you soon Emilie

From her own confession, Émilie Andéol did not always have an easy career, yet she managed to overcome ...

Germany, France, Cuba, Japan, Korea and Georgia to conclude Day 2 of Paris GS

On Day 2 of the 2019 edition of the Paris Grand Slam, Germany, France, Cuba, Japan, Korea and Georgia ...

Clarisse Agbegnenou Queen of Bercy

She has not yet reached the seven victories in Paris of her illustrious elder Lucie Decosse, but Clarisse ...

GS Paris Neil Adams Technical Analysis

We had an amazing final block today after a long day of competition. We saw some really close matches ...

I will be back here in 2020

This may be what the Parisian public will remember from the ceremony in honor of Teddy Riner: the ten-time ...

Draw heralds Paris Grand Slam

When coaches assemble for the draw you can sense the electricity in the room. Indeed, the final countdown ...

French superstar Agbegnenou eyes home glory at #JudoParis2019

Triple world champion Clarisse Agbegnenou (FRA) is the darling of the French crowd. The Olympic silver ...

You Must Experience This!

A few weeks after the first Grand Prix of the season, which took place in Tel Aviv, during the month ...

Teddy Riner talks about his 2019 return

Double Olympic champion Teddy Riner (FRA) has announced his imminent return to competition and talked ...

The Judo Family Mourns the passing away of Bernard Tchoullouyan

It is with great sadness that the International Judo community learned the passing away of Bernard Tchoullouyan ...

Gevrise Emane: On all fronts

Gevrise Emane (FRA) is no longer to be presented. Triple World Champion and Olympic medalist, she is ...

Complete Guide to #JudoWorlds2018

Part 1 of our Complete Guide to #JudoWorlds2018 covers Teams A-F and 270 judoka from 46 countries!

Interview Express - Teddy Riner (FRA)

There is no need to present Teddy Riner (FRA), ten-time world champion, two-time Olympic champion. He ...

5 key takeaways from the European Championships

5 key takeaways from the three-day Euro's in Israel

Jean-Luc Rouge

interview Express - Clarisse Agbegnenou (FRA)

Clarisse Agbegnenou (FRA), answered to our questions for the fourth EXPRESS INTERVIEW (after the IJF ...

France

THIS IS JUDO

Respect for others begins with self-respect. You have to know how to lose, that's true, but you also ...

JUDO FOR THE WORLD: A FRENCH HISTORY

Discover the last episode of the Judo for the World series dedicated to France. Last December the IJF ...

20 key storylines for #JudoWorlds2017 with 20 days to go

20 for 20 – The IJF presents 20 key storylines for #JudoWorlds2017 as Tuesday 8 August marks 20 days ...

7 returns to look out for at #JudoRussia2017

The Ekaterinburg Grand Slam 2017, the third Grand Slam of the season following Paris and Baku, is the ...

IJF and SOCAR reception launches Paris Grand Slam 2017

The International Judo Federation (IJF) and SOCAR welcomed distinguished members of the judo family on ...

13 Paris debutants to look out for at #JudoParis2017

Every judoka remembers their first Paris tournament. Whatever the latest batch of newcomers go on to ...

$50,000 award for end-of-year world leaders

The International Judo Federation has awarded all 14 judoka who ended 2016 as the world number ones with ...

Teddy Riner selected for the WADA Athletes Committee

Double Olympic champion Teddy Riner has been selected for the World Anti-Doping Agency Athlete Committee ...

Gold, gold and goals for Gneto siblings

London 2012 Olympic bronze medallist Priscilla Gneto is no stranger to gold medals but last week the ...

Jean-Luc Rougé Awarded by Japanese Government

On November 3, 2016, the Japanese government has published the list of the 2016 “Autumn” decorations. ...

Teddy Riner among judo's flagbearers

Olympic champion and eight-time world champion Teddy Riner was announced on Sunday as his country’s ...

Judoka and astronaut (6)

Baïkonour "Today I left Moscow for Houston. Peggy, Oleg and I just spent two weeks in Baikonur to ensure ...