UPDATED: All weight categories are full except for -48kg which has 15 judoka. The men's +100kg and women's -57kg categories are both complete with the top-16 ranked judoka judoka in each weight.
Rio 2016 Olympic champions
Paula PARETO (ARG) -48kg
Argentine hero PARETO has placed at all six events she has entered in 2018 and will be tipped to maintain that run in China. The Beijing 2008 Olympic bronze medallist started her year with silver at the Ekaterinburg Grand Slam before winning Pan American Championships gold and finishing seventh at the Budapest Grand Prix. The world number four, who turns 33 in January, won bronze at the World Championships in September before a golden trip to Mexico for the Cancun Grand Prix and most recently earned a bronze medal at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam in October.
Rafaela SILVA (BRA) -57kg
Brazilian treasure SILVA has been one of her country’s most active judoka this year and has won two gold medals this year. The world number 11 finished fifth at the Zagreb Grand Prix in July before winning the Budapest Grand Prix in August. Gold followed in October at the Cancun Grand Prix and now the Carioca will be bidding for her second World Judo Masters medal and first since she earned bronze in Almaty, Kazakhstan in 2012.
Tina TRSTENJAK (SLO) -63kg
'TRSTENJAK, who kept the -63kg Olympic title in Slovenia by winning in 2016, has only failed to place on one occasion in her eight outings this year. The Slovenian star opened her campaign with gold at the Tunis Grand Prix and that remains her one victory in 2018. TRSTENJAK won bronze at the Paris Grand Slam and silver at both the European Championships and Zagreb Grand Prix. The world number two won bronze at the World Championships in Baku and matched that result at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam. TRSTENJAK finished fifth last time out at the Osaka Grand Slam and will surprisingly be making her World Judo Masters debut in China.
Khasan KHALMURZAEV (RUS) -81kg
Russian standout KHALMURZAEV (below - blue judogi) started his season in March at the Agadir Grand Prix with bronze before he took silver at the Hohhot Grand Prix – the first Tokyo 2020 qualifier – in May. The reigning World Judo Masters champion finished a below-par seventh at the World Championships in Baku after suffering back-to-back defeats in the quarter-final and his repechage contest. The world number four will wear his golden backpatch which is reserved only for current Olympic champions and will start as one of the favourites for the -81kg title.
Baku 2018 world champions
YOSHIDA Tsukasa (JPN) -57kg
Six-time Grand Slam winner YOSHIDA turned her 2017 world silver into golden this year with a thrilling display in Baku. The first-time owner of a red backpatch began her year in Paris with a silver medal ahead of her triumph in Azerbaijan. YOSHIDA could only manage a finish-place result at home in Japan at the Osaka Grand Slam last month after slipping to defeat in the semi-finals and her subsequent bronze medal contest. The Tokyo 2020 hope has never won the Masters and will start as the favourite ahead of four-time winner and arch-rival DORJSUREN Sumiya (MGL).
Clarisse AGBEGNENOU (FRA) -63kg
Three-time and reigning world champion AGBEGNENOU (below - white judogi) is the overwhelming favourite to win what would be her first World Judo Masters title in China. The French superstar won her home Grand Slam in February before easing to victory at the Tbilisi Grand Prix. The Olympic silver medallist won the European crown in April ahead of powering to world glory in September. World number one AGBEGNENOU is undefeated in singles competition in 2018 and will be expected to make it five titles from 2018 this year.
HAMADA Shori (JPN) -78kg
World Judo Masters debutant HAMADA won bronze at the Paris Grand Slam in February to show her title candidacy for Baku 2018. The Japanese champion finished fifth at the Zagreb Grand Prix in July before starring in Azerbaijan and wrestling the red backpatch away from Mayra AGUIAR (BRA). HAMADA earned bronze in her homecoming at the Osaka Grand Slam and the world number eight will be backed to take gold at her first attempt in the season-ending blockbuster.
AN Changrim (KOR) -73kg
World number three AN (below) finally won the big one this year after twice winning bronze at the World Championships. AN dethroned defending world champion HASHIMOTO Soichi (JPN) in the final in Baku with a masterful showing and is now the leading man at -73kg. The two-time Grand Slam winner started his year with bronze at the Paris Grand Slam before earning silver at the Antalya Grand Prix. The crowd favourite won gold at the Hohhot Grand Prix ahead of a silver medal at the Asian Games and will now aim for his first World Judo Masters medal in China.
Saeid MOLLAEI (IRI) -81kg
World number one MOLLAEI has made the 2018 season his own with a sensational year that has made him a household name in the sport and a hero in Iran. MOLLAEI missed the podium at the season-opening Tunis Grand Prix in January before winning the Düsseldorf Grand Slam a month later. The Iranian ace took bronze at the Ekaterinburg Grand Slam but finished short of a medal finish at the Antalya Grand Prix. The highly-active -81kg judoka took silver at the Asian Games before his sublime world title win but failed to medal at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam and The Hague Grand Prix. MOLLAEI finished fifth at the Masters last year and should offer a stronger title challenger in 2018 as the reigning world champion.
Nikoloz SHERAZADISHVILI (ESP) -90kg
World number one SHERAZADISHVILI has enjoyed a breakout in 2018 and could establish himself further with victory in China. SHERAZADISHVILI opened his year with a seventh-place finish at the Paris Grand Slam before a bronze medal finish at the Düsseldorf Grand Slam. The Spaniard won bronze at the European Championships, gold at the Madrid European Open and took fifth-place at the Budapest Grand Prix. The -90kg star wore his red backpatch for the first time in The Hague in November and took silver and is now tasked with improving on his 2017 Masters bronze medal to close out his year in style.
CHO Guham (KOR) -100kg
World number three CHO started his year with a silver medal at the Paris Grand Slam before failing to threaten the podium at the Antalya Grand Prix. Former heavyweight judoka CHO won the Hohhot Grand Prix ahead of a silver medal finish at the Asian Games and then his maiden world title in Baku. The World Judo Masters debutant will wear his newly-acquired red backpatch for the first time and starts as the favourite for -100kg gold in Guangzhou.
Guram TUSHISHVILI (GEO) +100kg
World heavyweight champion TUSHISHVILI (below) is the man to beat in the land of the giants and will be a star attraction on Sunday. The defending World Judo Masters champion started 2018 with fifth-place at the Paris Grand Slam in the absence of Teddy RINER (FRA). The new face of Georgian judo missed the Ekaterinburg Grand Slam before winning his home Grand Prix in Tbilisi. TUSHISHVILI finished fifth at the European Championships and then reeled off back-to-back victories at the Zagreb Grand Prix and World Championships. The Tower of Tbilisi lost out to Henk GROL (NED) in his opening contest at the Osaka Grand Slam but will aim the bounce back with a champion’s performance in Guangzhou.
Watch #JudoMasters2018 live and free here on the IJF website on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 December.