Alina Dumitru is a Romanian judoka, one-time Olympic champion and eight-time European champion. At the 2008 Summer Olympics she defeated Japanese double gold medalist Ryoko Tani, who until then had been undefeated in major international competitions for 12 years.
Teddy Pierre-Marie Riner is a French judoka. An eleven-time world champion in the heavyweight (+100 kg) division, two-time openweight world champion and one-time world champion with the French men's team, he is the first and only judoka in history to win twelve gold medals at the World Judo Championships. He is also the only judoka to be a five-time Olympic champion; having won the gold medal in the Men's +100 kg event at the Summer Olympics three times and, as a member of the French team, in the mixed team event twice. Additionally, he is a two-time Olympic bronze medalist, a five-time European champion, a four-time World Masters gold medalist and eleven-time Grand Slam winner in his weight category.
Israel has competed at the Olympic Games as a nation since 1952. Its National Olympic Committee was formed in 1933, during the British Mandate of Palestine. Israel has sent a team to each Summer Olympic Games since 1952, and to each Winter Olympic Games since 1994. Israel became a member of the European Olympic Committees (EOC) in 1994. At the 2024 Summer Olympics, Israel won seven Olympic medals, the most up until this point, breaking Israel's record for Olympic medals per Olympics.
Mayra Aguiar da Silva is a Brazilian judoka. She was a bronze medallist in three consecutive Olympics, 2012, 2016 and 2020. She is also three-time world champion. She is the first Brazilian woman to win three Olympic medals in an individual sport, being the best female judoka in the history of Brazil.
Idalys Ortiz Bocourt is a Cuban judoka. She competed in the over 78 kg division at the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympics and won a medal on each occasion. She won the silver medal in the women's +78 kg event at the 2020 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan.
Brazil competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, from 27 July to 12 August 2012. This was the nation's twenty-first appearance at the Summer Olympics, having missed the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. The Brazilian Olympic Committee sent a total of 258 athletes to the Games, 136 men and 122 women, to compete in 24 sports. Brazil left London with a total of 17 Olympic medals, winning their third largest number of medals at a single games.
Rafaela Lopes Silva is a Brazilian judoka. She won gold medals at the World Judo Championships of 2013 and 2022 and at the 2016 Summer Olympics in the –57 kg weight division. Currently, she occupies the rank of graduation third sergeant in the Navy of Brazil and integrates the Center of Physical Education Admiral Nunes (CEFAN), the Military Sports Department.
Felipe Kitadai is a judoka from Brazil. He won a bronze medal at the 2012 Olympics and a gold at the 2011 Pan American Games. He also won gold medals six consecutive times in the Pan American Games Judo Championships: at 2011 Guadalaraja, 2012 Montreal, 2013 San José, 2014 Guayaquil, 2015 Edmonton and 2016 Havana.
Rafael Carlos da Silva is a Brazilian heavyweight judoka. He has two Olympic bronze medals in addition to having 4 individual medals in World Judo Championships, in addition to being a six-time Pan American Judo champion.
Dayaris Rosa Mestre Álvarez is a Cuban judoka who competes in the women's 48 kg category. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, she was defeated in the second round. She lost the bronze medal match to Otgontsetseg Galbadrakh in the women's 48 kg event at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Sally Conway is a Scottish retired judoka who competed for Team GB in the 2012 and the 2016 Summer Olympics in the women's 70 kg judo event. Conway won a bronze medal in the 2016 Olympics. She competed for Scotland at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, where she won a bronze medal at the at women's 70 kg judo event. As of 2024, Conway coaches Sweden's national judo team.
The practice of the Japanese martial art of judo in Brazil dates back to 1914, and its presence spawned the creation of another notable martial art, Brazilian jiu-jitsu. However, judo practice in Brazil did not cease after the inception of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, as evidenced by the fourth edition of the World Judo Championships being held in Rio de Janeiro in 1965. Furthermore, in the 2012 Summer Olympics, Brazilian judoka Sarah Menezes won the gold medal in judo, with other Brazilians winning bronze medals in various divisions, placing Brazil sixth overall in the total number of medals won in judo at the 2012 Summer Games, signifying the continued vitality of the martial art in Brazil.
Clarisse Bogdanna Agbegnenou is a French judoka. Competing in the −63 kg weight division she won the European title in 2013, the world title in 2014, an Olympic silver medal at the Rio 2016 Games, an Olympic gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Games, and the bronze medal at the 2024 Games in Paris, in her home country.
Yarden Gerbi is an Israeli former judoka world champion. She won an Olympic bronze medal competing for Israel at the 2016 Summer Olympics, in women's 63 kg judo.
Danielle Zangrando is a retired Brazilian judoka who competed in the women's lightweight category. She picked up a total of thirty medals in her career, including three from the Pan American Games, and a bronze from the 1995 World Judo Championships in Chiba, Japan, and also appeared in the 57-kg class in two editions of the Olympic Games. Growing up in Santos, Zangrando took up judo at the age of 5 following her brother to the dojo of sensei Paulo Duarte. Throughout most of her sporting career, Zangrando trained under Duarte as a full-fledged member of the judo squad for Santos FC Judô.
Daniela Duque Estrada Polzin is a Brazilian judoka who competed in the women's extra-lightweight category. She held a 2008 Brazilian senior title for her own division, picked up a total of seventeen medals in her career, including a silver from the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, and also represented Brazil in the 57-kg class at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Throughout most of her sporting career, Polzin also trained as a full-fledged member of Universidade Gama Filho's judo squad.
Yeldos Smetov is a Kazakh judoka and Olympic champion in 2024 in the under 60 kg weight category. He won gold medals at the 2014 Asian Games and the 2015 World Judo Championships, a silver medal at the 2016 Olympics, a bronze medal at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo and a gold medal at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Shira Rishony is an Israeli Olympic lightweight judoka. She competes at U48 kg. She competed for Israel at the 2016 Summer Olympics. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics she won a bronze medal in the mixed team event, and placed 5th in the women's 48 kg event. She won a bronze medal at the 2022 European Championship. Rishony represented Israel at the 2024 Paris Olympics in judo; in the women's 48 kg she came in 17th, and in the mixed team event Team Israel came in ninth.
Beatriz Rodrigues de Souza is a Brazilian judoka. She represented Brazil at the 2024 Summer Olympics and won the gold medal in the Women's +78 kg competition.
Larissa Cincinato Pimenta is a Brazilian judoka. A two-time Olympian, she won the bronze medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. At the 2019 Pan American Games held in Lima, Peru, she won the gold medal in the 52 kg event. She is also a five-time gold medalist in her event at the Pan American Judo Championships.
