World Judo Championships | |
Current Event: | 2024 World Judo Championships |
Discipline: | Judo |
Type: | Annual |
Organiser: | International Judo Federation (IJF) |
First: | 1956 in Tokyo, Japan |
Number: | 37 men (2024) 28 women (2024) |
Mostwins: | Japan – 417 medals (180 gold medals) |
Mostrecent: | Abu Dhabi 2024 |
Nextedition: | Budapest 2025 |
The World Judo Championships are the highest level of international judo competition, along with the Olympic judo competition. The championships are held once every year (except the years when the Olympics take place) by the International Judo Federation, and qualified judoka compete in their respective categories as representatives of their home countries. Team competitions have also been held since 1994. The men's championships began in 1956, though the format and periodicity of the championships have changed over time. The last edition of the championships took place in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates in 2024.
The first edition of the world championships took place in Tokyo, Japan in 1956. There were no weight classes at the time and Japanese judoka Shokichi Natsui became the first world champion in history, defeating fellow countryman Yoshihiko Yoshimatsu in the final. The second world championship was also held in Tokyo two years later, with the Japanese winning the top two spots in the competition for the second time. In 1961, the championship was held outside Japan for the first time, and Dutch judoka Anton Geesink defeated the prior world champion, Koji Sone, in Paris, France, to become the first non-Japanese world champion.
The 1965 World Judo Championships were held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and weight classes were implemented for the first time with the addition of the −68 kg, −80 kg, and +80 kg categories. Judo had become an Olympic sport at the 1964 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, and a permanent sport after a brief absence at the 1968 Summer Olympics.
Despite this progressive enlargement, it took until 1980 for women to participate in the world championships. The first women's world championships were held in New York City in 1980, and were held in alternating years as the men's championships until the 1987 World Judo Championships in Essen, where the two competitions were merged into one world championship. The mixed championships have been held biannually since 1987. In 2005, the world championships made its debut on the African continent in Cairo, Egypt. In the International Judo Federation meeting held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2007 (during the 2007 World Judo Championships), it was decided that France would host the world championships for the fifth time in 2011.
There are currently 16 tournaments in the world championships, with 8 weight classes for each gender.
1965 | 1967–1975 | 1979–1997 | 1999–present | |
Open category (no weight limits) | Open category (no weight limits) | |||
Heavyweight +80 kg | Heavyweight +93 kg | Heavyweight +95 kg | Heavyweight +100 kg | |
Half heavyweight -93 kg | Half heavyweight -95 kg | Half heavyweight -100 kg | ||
Middleweight -80 kg | Middleweight -80 kg | Middleweight -86 kg | Middleweight -90 kg | |
Half middleweight -70 kg | Half middleweight -78 kg | Half middleweight -81 kg | ||
Lightweight -68 kg | Lightweight -63 kg | Lightweight -71 kg | Lightweight -73 kg | |
Half lightweight -65 kg | Half lightweight -66 kg | |||
Extra lightweight -60 kg |
1999–present | ||
Open category (no weight limits) | ||
Heavyweight +72 kg | Heavyweight +78 kg | |
Half heavyweight -72 kg | Half heavyweight -78 kg | |
Middleweight -66 kg | Middleweight -70 kg | |
Half middleweight -61 kg | Half middleweight -63 kg | |
Lightweight -56 kg | Lightweight -57 kg | |
Half lightweight -52 kg | ||
Extra lightweight -48 kg |
The world championships have been held in every continent except Oceania and Antarctica.
Number | Year | Dates | City and host country | Venue |
|
| ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1980 | 29–30 November | New York, United States | Madison Square Garden | 27 | 149 | [27] [28] | |
2 | 1982 | 4–5 December | Paris, France | Stade Pierre de Coubertin | 35 | 174 | [29] [30] | |
3 | 1984 | 10–11 November | Vienna, Austria | Wiener Stadthalle | 32 | 183 | [31] [32] | |
4 | 1986 | 24–26 October | Maastricht, Netherlands | Geusselt Sports Hall | 35 | 162 | [33] [34] |
Number | Year | Dates | City and host country | Venue |
|
| ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2008 | 20–21 December | Levallois-Perret, France | Marcel Cerdan Palace of Sports | 18 | 51 | [86] [87] | |
— | 2009 | Cancelled | ||||||
2 | 2011 | 29–30 October | Tyumen, Russia | Judo Centre | 22 | 49 | [88] [89] | |
3 | 2017 | 11–12 November | Marrakech, Morocco | Palais des Congrès | 28 | 58 | [90] [91] |
width=100px class="hintergrundfarbe5" | Rank | width=200px class="hintergrundfarbe6" | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 105 | 58 | 65 | 228 | |||
2 | 25 | 8 | 45 | 78 | |||
3 | 24 | 17 | 28 | 69 | |||
4 | 11 | 12 | 33 | 56 | |||
5 | 10 | 13 | 24 | 47 | |||
6 | 8 | 11 | 19 | 38 | |||
7 | 7 | 14 | 27 | 48 | |||
8 | 5 | 6 | 12 | 23 | |||
9 | 5 | 4 | 10 | 19 | |||
10 | 4 | 7 | 16 | 27 | |||
11 | 4 | 2 | 14 | 20 | |||
12 | 3 | 6 | 14 | 23 | |||
13 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 18 | |||
14 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 20 | |||
15 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 20 | |||
16 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 17 | |||
17 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 10 | |||
18 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | |||
19 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 8 | |||
20 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 18 | |||
21 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 11 | |||
22 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 12 | |||
23 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | |||
– | Individual Neutral Athletes | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
24 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | |||
25 | 1 | 8 | 11 | 20 | |||
26 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 13 | |||
27 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | |||
28 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | |||
29 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | |||
30 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | |||
31 | Russian Judo Federation | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | ||
32 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | |||
1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | ||||
34 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 16 | |||
35 | 0 | 5 | 13 | 18 | |||
36 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 11 | |||
37 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 8 | |||
38 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 7 | |||
39 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | |||
40 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 8 | |||
41 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | |||
42 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | |||
43 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |||
0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | ||||
45 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||
0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
47 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||
48 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |||
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||
51 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | |||
52 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |||
0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||||
0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||||
55 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |||
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||
Total | 253 | 251 | 504 | 1008 |
width=100px class="hintergrundfarbe5" | Rank | width=200px class="hintergrundfarbe6" | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 57 | 50 | 54 | 161 | |||
2 | 35 | 21 | 55 | 111 | |||
3 | 20 | 13 | 14 | 47 | |||
4 | 16 | 16 | 29 | 61 | |||
5 | 13 | 15 | 20 | 48 | |||
6 | 8 | 11 | 36 | 55 | |||
7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 26 | |||
8 | 6 | 5 | 12 | 23 | |||
9 | 6 | 1 | 19 | 26 | |||
10 | 5 | 6 | 17 | 28 | |||
11 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 11 | |||
12 | 4 | 7 | 16 | 27 | |||
13 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 9 | |||
14 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 14 | |||
15 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 11 | |||
16 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 | |||
17 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 19 | |||
18 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 19 | |||
19 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 17 | |||
20 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 15 | |||
21 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 | |||
22 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | |||
23 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | |||
24 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |||
25 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 14 | |||
26 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 7 | |||
27 | International Judo Federation | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||||
29 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 9 | |||
30 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 13 | |||
31 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 8 | |||
32 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | |||
33 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 8 | |||
34 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | |||
35 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |||
36 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||
0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||
0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||
0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||
40 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |||
41 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | |||
42 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | |||
43 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |||
0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||||
45 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |||
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||
– | Individual Neutral Athletes | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
Total | 215 | 215 | 430 | 860 |
width=100px class="hintergrundfarbe5" | Rank | width=200px class="hintergrundfarbe6" | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 162 | 108 | 119 | 389 | |||
2 | 59 | 38 | 83 | 180 | |||
3 | 31 | 9 | 64 | 104 | |||
4 | 20 | 13 | 17 | 50 | |||
5 | 19 | 22 | 38 | 79 | |||
6 | 16 | 22 | 55 | 93 | |||
7 | 16 | 19 | 33 | 68 | |||
8 | 11 | 13 | 33 | 57 | |||
9 | 10 | 13 | 24 | 47 | |||
10 | 9 | 17 | 20 | 46 | |||
11 | 9 | 13 | 33 | 55 | |||
12 | 9 | 13 | 28 | 50 | |||
13 | 7 | 17 | 37 | 61 | |||
14 | 6 | 12 | 21 | 39 | |||
15 | 6 | 4 | 25 | 35 | |||
16 | 6 | 4 | 21 | 31 | |||
17 | 5 | 10 | 14 | 29 | |||
18 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 21 | |||
19 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 18 | |||
20 | 4 | 8 | 17 | 29 | |||
21 | 4 | 2 | 11 | 17 | |||
22 | 3 | 6 | 17 | 26 | |||
23 | 3 | 6 | 11 | 20 | |||
24 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 18 | |||
25 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 14 | |||
26 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 20 | |||
27 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 | |||
28 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 8 | |||
29 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 | |||
30 | 2 | 10 | 25 | 37 | |||
31 | 2 | 7 | 17 | 26 | |||
32 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 15 | |||
33 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 14 | |||
34 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | |||
35 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | |||
– | Individual Neutral Athletes | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | ||
36 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |||
37 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 15 | |||
38 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | |||
39 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | |||
40 | Russian Judo Federation | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | ||
41 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 7 | |||
42 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 | |||
43 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | |||
44 | International Judo Federation | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||||
46 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 13 | |||
0 | 4 | 9 | 13 | ||||
48 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | |||
49 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | |||
50 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 9 | |||
51 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | |||
0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | ||||
53 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | |||
54 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |||
55 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | |||
56 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||
57 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||
0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||
0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||
0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||
61 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |||
62 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |||
0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||||
0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||||
65 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |||
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||
Total | 468 | 466 | 934 | 1868 |
The first World Team Judo Championships was held in 1994 as separate event and only for men's national teams. The first World Team Judo Championships for women's national team was held as separate event in 1997.[92] Since 1998, World Team Judo Championships for men's and women's national teams have been held at the same time and venue. It were held every four years until 2006 (although promotional team events were held during 2003 and 2005 World Judo Championships) and every year from 2007 to 2015 (except 2009). Since 2011 men's and women's team competitions became the part of World Judo Championships. Starting from 2017, it were merged into mixed team competition. Judokas who participates in the individual events at the World Championships often do not participate in the team competition.
The results of promotional team events which were held during 2003 and 2005 World Judo Championships are not included into overall statistics.
List of World Judo Championships medalists
Updated after the 2024 World Judo Championships.
This table include all medals in the individual and team competitions won at the World Judo Championships as well as at the separate World Team Judo Championships and separate World Judo Open Championships.
Boldface denotes active judokas and highest medal count among all judokas (including these who not included in these tables) per type.
Rank | Judoka | Country | Weights | From | To | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Teddy Riner | +100 kg / Open | 2007 | 2023 | 11 | 1 | – | 12 | ||
2 | +95 kg / Open | 1987 | 1995 | 4 | – | 3 | 7 | |||
3 | Hifumi Abe | −66 kg | 2017 | 2023 | 4 | – | 1 | 5 | ||
Naohisa Takatō | −60 kg | 2013 | 2022 | 4 | – | 1 | 5 | |||
5 | +95 kg / Open | 1993 | 1997 | 4 | – | – | 4 | |||
−80 kg / −78 kg | 1971 | 1979 | 4 | – | – | 4 | ||||
+95 kg / Open | 1979 | 1983 | 4 | – | – | 4 | ||||
8 | −90 kg | 2005 | 2014 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | |||
9 | −100 kg / +100 kg / Open | 1999 | 2011 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 7 | |||
10 | Tato Grigalashvili | −81 kg | 2021 | 2024 | 3 | 1 | – | 4 |
Rank | Judoka | Country | Events | From | To | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Teddy Riner | +100 kg / Open / Team | 2007 | 2023 | 12 | 1 | 1 # | 14 # | |
2 | Soichi Hashimoto | −73 kg / Team | 2017 | 2023 | 7 *## | 2 | 2 | 11 *## | |
3 | −73 kg / Team | 2013 | 2019 | 6 * | – | 1 | 7 * | ||
4 | −66 kg / Team | 2011 | 2015 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 7 | ||
−73 kg / Team | 2011 | 2017 | 5 ** | 1 | 1 * | 7 *** | |||
6 | +95 kg / Open / Team | 1993 | 1997 | 5 * | – | – | 5 * | ||
7 | −100 kg / +100 kg / Open / Team | 1998 | 2013 | 4 | 3 * | 5 | 12 * | ||
8 | +95 kg / Open | 1987 | 1995 | 4 | – | 3 | 7 | ||
9 | Takanori Nagase | −81 kg / Team | 2014 | 2023 | 4 # | – | 2 | 6 # | |
10 | Hifumi Abe | −66 kg | 2017 | 2023 | 4 | – | 1 | 5 | |
Naohisa Takatō | −60 kg | 2013 | 2022 | 4 | – | 1 | 5 |
Rank | Judoka | Country | Weights | From | To | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | −48 kg | 1991 | 2007 | 7 | – | 1 | 8 | |||
+78 kg / Open | 2001 | 2011 | 7 | – | 1 | 8 | ||||
3 | +72 kg / −72 kg / Open | 1980 | 1989 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 11 | |||
4 | Clarisse Agbegnenou | −63 kg | 2013 | 2024 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 9 | ||
5 | +72 kg / Open | 1984 | 1989 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 6 | |||
−52 kg / −57 kg | 1997 | 2007 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||||
7 | +72 kg / −72 kg / −78 kg | 1993 | 2003 | 4 | 1 | – | 5 | |||
−48 kg | 1982 | 1991 | 4 | 1 | – | 5 | ||||
9 | Uta Abe | −52 kg | 2018 | 2023 | 4 | – | – | 4 | ||
10 | −56 kg / −57 kg / −63 kg | 1993 | 2007 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
Rank | Judoka | Country | Events | From | To | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Clarisse Agbegnenou | −63 kg / Team | 2011 | 2024 | 8 # | 3 * | 3 * | 14 **# | ||
2 | +78 kg / Open / Team | 2001 | 2011 | 8 | – | 2 | 10 | |||
3 | −48 kg | 1991 | 2007 | 7 | – | 1 | 8 | |||
4 | +72 kg / −72 kg / Open | 1980 | 1989 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 11 | |||
5 | Momo Tamaoki | −57 kg / Team | 2018 | 2024 | 6 ****# | 1 | 1 | 8 ****# | ||
6 | −70 kg / Team | 2015 | 2019 | 6 # | – | – | 6 # | |||
Akira Sone | +78 kg / Team | 2017 | 2023 | 6 **## | – | – | 6 **## | |||
8 | −56 kg / −57 kg / −63 kg / Team | 1993 | 2007 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 11 | |||
9 | −52 kg / Team | 2006 | 2015 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 8 | |||
10 | −70 kg / −63 kg / Team | 2005 | 2015 | 5 * | 1 | 2 | 8 * |
Category | Men | Women | |
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Youngest world champion |
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Oldest world champion |
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See main article: world championships.