Present at the draw on behalf of the International Judo Federation were IJF General Treasurer Dr Naser Al Tamimi, IJF Sport Director Mr Kosei Inoue and IJF Referee Director Ms Tina Trstenjak.
Representing the Chinese Judo Association were Vice President and Secretary General Mr Yan Yue, President of the Shandong Judo Association Mr Mingjun Bi and Director of the Qingdao Sports Development Center Mr Min Zhang.
Welcoming the delegations, Dr Naser Al Tamimi thanked the Chinese Judo Association, the Chinese authorities and all those contributing to the organisation of the event. "On behalf of the International Judo Federation, I would like to thank the Chinese Judo Association and the Chinese authorities for hosting this grand prix. I also wish to thank the city of Qingdao, Shandong Province, as well as all the media and sponsors for their support. I wish everyone an excellent competition and the very best results as we are about to begin the second event on the road to Los Angeles 2028."
Vice President and Secretary General of the Chinese Judo Association Mr Yan Yue then extended a warm welcome to all participants, "Distinguished Dr Naser Al Tamimi, Mr Kosei Inoue and Ms Tina Trstenjak, dear team leaders, athletes, officials, ladies and gentlemen, it is with great pleasure that we welcome you to the Qingdao Grand Prix 2026. On behalf of the Chinese Judo Association, I extend my warmest welcome to everyone."
Reflecting on the tournament's rapid development, he continued, "Following the success of last year's event, we are delighted to welcome 500 athletes from 57 countries. We are confident that this will be another outstanding competition. As the host federation, we are working closely with the local organising committee under the auspices of the IJF. I hope you will enjoy your stay in this beautiful coastal city. Thank you and good luck to everyone."
The impressive entry of almost 500 athletes from 57 nations underlines the growing importance of the Qingdao Grand Prix on the international calendar. While valuable World Ranking List points will be awarded throughout the weekend, the stakes extend even further. As the second tournament of the LA28 qualification period, every victory, every point and every placing already contributes to the long journey towards the Olympic Games.
With the draw complete and the contest sheets confirmed, all eyes now turn to the tatami, where another chapter of the race to Los Angeles will be written.
On days 1 and 2, competition will begin at 09:00 local time, while on day 3 the action will get underway at 09:30. The final block will begin at 17:00 each day. Stay tuned for more information and follow all the action live on JudoTV.com.