Five categories will open the competition on day one and, while the seeded athletes naturally attract attention, the World Judo Tour has shown repeatedly that rankings are a good indicator but offer no guarantees. Upsets are always possible, particularly at the beginning of a new Olympic cycle when competitors are still searching for form and momentum.
-48 kg: Can Anyone Stop Hui on Home Soil?
China's Xinran Hui arrives in Qingdao as the world number one and undoubtedly one of the biggest favourites of the opening day. Competing in front of her home crowd, she will be determined to deliver a gold medal for the host nation. However, her teammate Wenna Zhuang could have other ideas and will be eager to challenge for the top step herself.
Silver medallist at the 2025 World Championships, Abiba Abuzhakynova (KAZ) will be determined to prevent a Chinese domination of the category, while Mongolia's Narantsetseg Ganbaatar will be looking for an immediate response after an uncharacteristic unplaced finish at last week's Ulaanbaatar Grand Slam.
-60 kg: Can Aghayev Make it Two in a Row?
Fresh from his victory in Ulaanbaatar just one week ago, world number one Balabay Aghayev (AZE) arrives full of confidence and will once again be the man to beat. If he can repeat his recent performance, he could claim back-to-back World Judo Tour victories.
Standing in his way is compatriot Ahmad Yusifov (AZE). Should both athletes progress as expected, an all-Azerbaijani final is a real possibility. a bronze medallist in Mongolia, Izhak Ashpiz (ISR) impressed throughout last weekend's competition and will hope to climb even higher, while Ayub Bliev (RUS) is another serious contender for the podium.
-52 kg: Ballhaus Wants More
Germany's Mascha Ballhaus will be eager to improve on the seventh-place finish she recorded in Ulaanbaatar. After winning bronze at the Paris Grand Slam earlier this season, she has already shown she has the ability to challenge for medals consistently.
Her task will not be easy. Khorloodoi Bishrelt (UAE) arrives after taking bronze in Mongolia and will be full of confidence, while Ayumi Leiva Sanchez (ESP) and Kokoro Fujishiro (JPN) complete a particularly strong top four. Fujishiro will be hoping to reproduce the form that earned her gold at the OTP Group Tashkent Grand Slam earlier this year.
-66 kg: The Hifumi Abe Question
Just as the question for Uta Abe last weekend was ‘who could beat her,’ the same now applies to her brother Hifumi. A double Olympic champion and four-time world champion, Abe remains the benchmark in the category. On paper, he appears almost unbeatable but judo has never been contested on paper!
Among those hoping to produce an upset are Ruslan Pashayev (AZE), Luukas Saha (FIN) and Ronald Lima (BRA). All possess the talent to challenge the Japanese superstar, but defeating one of the sport's greatest champions remains one of the toughest tasks in international judo.
-57 kg: A Wide Open Contest
Timna Nelson Levy (ISR) is the top seed again after leading the draw in Ulaanbaatar last weekend. On that occasion she finished fifth and will certainly be looking to convert her seeding into a place on the podium in Qingdao.
Brazil's Shirlen Nascimento arrives after winning the 2026 Panamerican Senior Championships and will hope to carry that momentum into the World Judo Tour. In pool B, France's Martha Fawaz could emerge as a future opponent for Nelson Levy in the semi-final, while in the bottom half of the draw Japan's Momo Tamaoki has every opportunity to make a decisive impact on the competition.
The top four seeds provide a useful guide to the athletes expected to challenge for medals, but experience tells us that nothing is guaranteed. The Qingdao Grand Prix will soon reveal who has made the strongest start to this new phase of Olympic qualification and which new names may emerge as genuine contenders on the road to Los Angeles.