The International Judo Federation (IJF) is the international governing body for judo, founded in July 1951. Today the IJF has 200 National Federations on all continents. There are over 20 million people around the globe who practice judo, according to the IJF.
Teddy Pierre-Marie Riner is a French judoka. He has won eleven World Championships gold medals, the first and only judoka to do so, and three Olympic gold medals. He has also won five gold medals at the European Championships. He was a member of the Levallois Sporting Club before joining Paris Saint-Germain in August 2017.
The most popular sport in Russia is soccer. According to Yandex search analysis results rating of the most popular sports among Russians: "Football topped the list of the most popular sports in Russia" with 5 to 10 million requests. Ice hockey came in second with handball, basketball, futsal, boxing, auto racing, volleyball, athletics, tennis, and chess rounding out the top ten rankings. Other popular sports include bandy, biathlon, figure skating, weightlifting, gymnastics, wrestling, martial arts, rugby union, and skiing.
The European Judo Federation consists of 51 national Judo federations/associations, and is itself recognised by the International Judo Federation as one of five continental unions. The organisation of the administration of Judo is based on a pyramid system of regulations, with the IJF the world governing body, the EJU the European governing body, and national Judo associations the governing bodies at domestic level.
Boycotts of Israel in sports refer to various disqualifications and denial of Israeli athletes due to the refusal of some countries to recognize the state of Israel. As part of a more or less systematic boycott of Israel, Israeli athletes and teams have been barred from some competitions. In many international competitions, where Israel does take part, such as the Olympic Games, some Arab and Muslim competitors avoid competing against Israelis. Some countries, most notably Iran, even compel their athletes not to compete against Israelis or in Israel.
Iryna Aliyeva, née Iryna Kindzerska, is a Ukrainian-born Azerbaijani judoka. In 2021, she won one of the bronze medals in the women's +78 kg event at the 2020 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan. She is also a two-time medalist at the European Judo Championships and a bronze medalist at the 2017 World Judo Championships and the 2019 European Games.
Or "Ori" Sasson is a retired Israeli Olympic judoka. He won a bronze medal in the +100 kg category at the 2016 Summer Olympics and another one at the 2020 Summer Olympics. He is the second of two Israelis to win two Olympic medals.
Peter Paltchik is a Ukrainian-born Israeli former European champion and Olympic judoka, competing in the under 100 kg weight category, of which he is the current number 1 ranked Judoka in the world. Paltchik won the bronze medal at the 2018 European Judo Championships in Tel Aviv. In 2019 he won the Israeli championship in the 100+ Kg category. He then won the gold medal at the 2020 European Judo Championships in Prague. Paltchik also won a bronze medal in the mixed team judo competition in the 2021 Olympics. At the 2023 World Judo Championships he won a bronze medal. Paltchik will represent Israel at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris in judo in the men's 100 kg event on 1 August 2024, in the mixed team event and will be the flag bearer of his country with the female Olympic swimmer Andrea Murez.
Inal Valikoyevich Tasoev is a Russian judoka of Ossetian heritage.
Romane Dicko is a French judoka. In 2021, she won one of the bronze medals in the women's +78 kg event at the 2020 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan. She is also a two-time gold medalist at the European Judo Championships and she won gold in her event at the 2021 Judo World Masters held in Doha, Qatar.
Zelym Kotsoiev is a Russian-born Azerbaijani judoka of Ossetian heritage. He is a two-time bronze medalist at the World Judo Championships and a four-time medalist, including gold, at the European Judo Championships.
Marius Vizer is a Romanian former judoka and judo coach, and businessman. Since 2007, he has been the president of the International Judo Federation. Vizer also holds an Austrian passport. Vizer holds a 8th dan black belt in judo.
Inbar Lanir is an Israeli Olympic judoka and 2023 world champion. She competes in the under 78 kg weight category. In addition to winning the 2023 world championship, she won gold medals at the 2023 World Masters and 2023 Ulaanbaatar Grand Slam. Lanir will represent Israel at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris in judo in the women's 78 kg on 1 August 2024, and in the mixed team event.
Raz Hershko is an Israeli European champion and Olympic judoka. She was the 2015 European U18 Champion, the 2017 European U23 championships silver medalist, and won a bronze medal in the 2023 world championships. She competed for Israel at the 2020 Summer Olympics, winning a bronze medal in mixed team. She is the 2024 European Champion. Hershko will represent Israel at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris in judo in the women's +78 kg on 2 August 2024, and in the mixed team event.
The 2022 World Judo Championships was held at the Humo Ice Dome in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from 6 to 13 October 2022 as part of the IJF World Tour and during the 2024 Summer Olympics qualification period, concluding with the mixed team event on its final day.
The 2022 Judo Grand Slam Ulaanbaatar was held at the Steppe Arena in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, from 24 to 26 June 2022 as part of the IJF World Tour and during the 2024 Summer Olympics qualification period. After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, all of the other 31 Summer Olympic sports organizations other than the IJF have suspended Russian and Belarusian athletes from their competitions. But IJF President Marius Vizer, a long-time close friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin, wanted instead to let Russians and Belarusians continue to compete as neutral athletes. Ukraine boycotted the event because the Russian team was allowed to compete; Russia entered 24 competitors in the competition. Allowing Russians to compete went against the recommendation of the International Olympic Committee.
The 2022 Judo World Masters was held at the Pais Arena in Jerusalem, Israel, from 20 to 22 December 2022 as part of the IJF World Tour and during the 2024 Summer Olympics qualification period.
The Men's +100 kg event at the 2023 World Judo Championships was held at the Ali Bin Hamad al-Attiyah Arena in Doha, Qatar on 13 May 2023.
The 2024 World Judo Championships was held at the Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, from 19 to 24 May 2024 as part of the IJF World Tour and during the 2024 Summer Olympics qualification period, concluding with a mixed team event on the final day.
