The Grand Return of World Judo to China
Qingdao is no stranger to the circuit; the city hosted a grand prix from 2009 to 2016 and more broadly China has a long and rich history with world-class judo. Its judoka, particularly the women’s team, have shone at both the world championships and the Olympic Games in the past and they are rebuilding a team for future success.
In recent years, China has staged several major international events:
- World Judo Masters 2018 in Guangzhou,
- World Judo Masters 2019 in Qingdao,
- Grand Prix 2019 in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia.
The return of the WJT to China is therefore a return to familiar ground. 206 competitors from 27 countries and all 5 continents will be on the tatami, chasing medals and valuable points on the World Ranking List.
Among them will be, for instance, world number ones Lara Cvjetko (CRO) and Hyeonji Lee (KOR), Olympic medallist Shirine Boukli (FRA), a strong Japanese delegation and many other renowned judoka ready to battle it out in Qingdao.
What’s Next on the Tour
The World Judo Tour doesn’t stop here! After Qingdao, the journey continues to Lima, Peru, right after the Junior World Championships, and Guadalajara in Mexico, for two new major international events on the WJT. Then the judo world will move on to Zagreb, Abu Dhabi and Tokyo, for what promises to be a spectacular season finale.
Follow the World Judo Tour
Catch all the action live from Qingdao on judotv.com, and follow the latest updates on ijf.org