Japanese judo heavyweight (+100 kg) Tatsuru Saito will be driven by the memory of his famous father when he goes for Paris Olympic gold, AFP reports. 

Japan kept up their 100 percent record in the mixed team competition at the Judo World Championships, beating Olympic champions France 4-1 to claim a seventh consecutive title in Abu Dhabi. No country other than Japan has won gold.

Two-time Olympic gold medallist Lukas Krpalek was back in the super heavyweight category at the 2024 Judo World Championships, held in Abu Dhabi from 19-23 May, as he made the final decision to compete in the +100kg category at Paris 2024.

Seven of the eight world champions won the first world titles of their careers during the first three days of the 2024 Judo World Championships in Abu Dhabi from 19-23 May. Only Tati Grigalashvili (men's -81 kg) retained his world title.

The world leaders in the men's +81 kg category, Matthias Casse (Belgium) and Tato Grigalashvili (Georgia), were set to meet in the final of the 2024 Judo World Championships in Abu Dhabi from 19-23 May. The two had met in the final of the last three World Championships and the third-place match at Tokyo 2020, with Casse winning the 2021 Olympic bronze medal and Grigalashvili winning the last two World Championships.

Jessica Klimkait and Hidayet Heydarov were both in tears after their semi-final bouts at the 2024 Judo World Championships, held in Abu Dhabi from 19-23 May. However, if Heydarov's were tears of joy, Klimkait's were tears of despair.

Three new world champions were crowned on the first day of the 2024 Judo world championships held in Abu Dhabi on May 19-23.

Japan's brother-and-sister Olympic judo champions Hifumi and Uta Abe are spurring each other on in their bid to defend their titles at Paris 2024, AFP reports.

The last Judo Grand Slam tournament before the 2024 World Championships in Abu Dhabi took place in Astana, Kazakhstan on 10-12 May.

After the continental championships, the Judo Grand Slam returned with a tournament in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. With some teams sending their second and third numbers to Dushanbe, the host country won a record seven medals, but only one was gold. Switzerland, Austria and Italy had two gold medals, with Switzerland topping the overall standings, Austria second and Italy third. 

The 2024 Judo European Championships took place in Zagreb, Croatia on April 25-28 with 427 judoka from 47 countries competing. Azerbaijin's Hidayat Heydarov won his third consecutive title, and fourth in total, at -73kg, while Audrey Tcheumeo claimed her fifth women's -78kg European crown.

France had one silver and two bronze medals on the first two days of the 2024 Judo Grand Slam in Antalya, Turkey, but they finished the tournament on a high note... and it was predictable.

Japan, Korea, Moldova and Austria each won a gold medal on the second day of the 2024 Judo Grand Slam in Antalya, Türkiye.

Japan and Canada were the two countries to win gold medals on the first day of the Judo Grand Slam Antalya 2024. Another gold medal was won by an individual neutral athlete.

There were four Georgian athletes on the final day of the 2024 Judo Tbilisi Grand Slam, but only two represented their homeland. It was the last day of an interesting and intense event in the capital of the Caucasian country.