2023 Judo Paris Grand Slam: Preview, schedule and stars to watch
The IJF World Tour visits Paris from 4 to 5 February 2023, with Bercy Arena playing host to the Paris Grand Slam and the world’s best judokas in an Olympic qualification event.
Judo
Before welcoming basketball players and gymnasts to the Olympic Games Paris 2024, Bercy Arena will host the world’s best judokas from 4-5 February 2023.
Judo's Paris Grand Slam will take place there this year, as it has for several decades. It's an event that is considered to be one of the biggest tournaments in the world.
In total, 550 judokas from 85 countries are expected to compete on the tatamis of Paris, including some of the sport’s biggest stars such as Teddy Riner, Romane Dicko, Rafaela Silva and Lukas Krpalek.
The winner in each weight category will be allocated 1,000 points towards the world ranking. And as the Olympic qualification period has already begun, those points will count towards the allocation of quotas for Paris 2024.
It all adds to the high stakes of the 52nd edition of the prestigious Paris tournament.
From the schedule to the athletes to follow and past winners, find out everything you need to know about the 2023 Judo Paris Grand Slam below.
Athletes to watch at the 2023 Judo Paris Grand Slam
The Paris Grand Slam usually attracts the very best judokas on the planet and, among the 500 registered to compete, three won individual gold at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: Distria Krasniqi (-48 kg), Lasha Bekauri (-90 kg) and Lukas Krpalek ( +100kg). The latter has already tasted victory in Paris, having won the -100kg category in 2013. 10 years later, he will once again line up in this category having dropped back down to -100kg, the weight in which he won the Olympic title at Rio 2016.
The reigning Olympic mixed team champions will also compete in their home competition, with Margaux Pinot, Romane Dicko and Teddy Riner all part of the French squad. All three of those judokas have previously been on the top step of the podium in Paris and will attempt to do it again alongside other past winners including Amandine Buchard and Audrey Tcheuméo.
Riner, a three-time Olympic champion, will make his comeback after injuring his right ankle while training in Morocco last summer. He was absent from the World Championships in October.
Brazil's Rio 2016 Olympic champion and reigning world champion Rafaela Silva (-57kg) and Georgia’s triple Olympic medallist Lasha Shavdatuashvili (-73 kg) are also expected to compete in the French capital.
Triple world champion Matthias Casse of Belgium will also take part in the first Grand Slam of 2023.
Winners of the 2022 Judo Paris Grand Slam
- -48 kg women: Tsunoda Natsumi (JPN)
- -52 kg women: Amandine Buchard (FRA)
- -57 kg women: Funakubo Haruka (JPN)
- -63 kg women: Nabekura Nami (JPN)
- -70 kg women: Margaux Pinot (FRA)
- -78 kg women: Audrey Tcheuméo (FRA)
- +78 kg women: Tomita Wakaba (JPN)
- -60 kg men: Nagayama Ryuju (JPN)
- -66 kg men: Bakshuu Yondonperenlei (MGL)
- -73 kg men: Lasha Shavdatuashvili (GEO)
- -81 kg men: Fujiwara Sotaro (JPN)
- -90 kg men: Murao Sanshiro (JPN)
- -100 kg men: Toma Nikiforov (BEL)
- +100kg men: Tsetsentsengel Odkhuu (MGL)
2023 Judo Paris Grand Slam schedule
Saturday 4 February
- -48 kg women
- -52 kg women
- -57 kg women
- -63 kg women
- -60 kg men
- -66 kg men
- -73 kg men
Sunday 5 February
- -70 kg women
- -78 kg women
- +78 kg women
- -81 kg men
- -90 kg men
- -100 kg men
- +100 kg men
The provisional start time of the fights is scheduled for 8:00 a.m. CET. The final bouts take place from 5 p.m.