Judo at the Summer Olympics

Judo was first included in the Summer Olympic Games at the 1964 Games in Tokyo, Japan. After not being included in 1968, judo has been an Olympic sport in each Olympiad since then. Only male judoka participated until the 1988 Summer Olympics, when women participated as a demonstration sport. Women judoka were first awarded medals at the 1992 Summer Olympics.

Competition format

Judoka compete in weight classes. Each country may qualify a maximum of one athlete per weight class. Gold and silver medals are awarded based on a single elimination bracket. Two bronze medals are awarded in each weight class; quarter-finalists losers fight against other in the same half of bracket. Losers finish in seventh place, winners advance to the bronze medal contest against losing semifinalist of the opposite half of the bracket. Winners of these contests receive bronze medal and losers finish in fifth place.

Weight classes

There have been between 4 and 8 Olympic weight classes over the years (currently 7), and the definition of each class has changed several times, as shown in the following table.