152 articles
Davit Khakhaleishvili
Davit Khakhaleishvili (დავით ხახალეიშვილი), Georgian heavyweight judoka, 1971-2021; Olympic +95 kg gold at Barcelona 1992 for the Unified Team, beating Naoya Ogawa; three European titles; disqualified at Atlanta 1996 for missing the weigh-in.
Dietmar Lorenz
Dietmar Lorenz (1950-2021), East German judoka of SC Dynamo Hoppegarten, first German Olympic judo champion, winning open-class gold and -95 kg bronze at Moscow 1980; also first non-Japanese Kano Cup winner (1978).
Distria Krasniqi
Distria Krasniqi, Kosovar judoka (born 1995, Pejë), Olympic gold Tokyo 2020 at -48 kg and silver Paris 2024 at -52 kg; four European titles, four Masters golds, coached by Driton Kuka.
Djamel Bouras
Djamel Bouras, French judoka born 1971 in Givors, Olympic half-middleweight (−78 kg) champion at Atlanta 1996, beating Toshihiko Koga; 1996 European champion, 1997 world silver medalist, later suspended for nandrolone and now PSG Judo president.
Driulis Gonzalez
Driulis Gonzalez (full name Driulis González Morales) is a retired Cuban judoka born in 1973. She won four Olympic medals across five Olympic Games, including gold in 1996.
Elnur Məmmədli
Elnur Məmmədli (Elnur Çingiz oğlu Məmmədli), Azerbaijani judoka born 1988 in Baku; 2008 Beijing Olympic lightweight (-73 kg) champion, Azerbaijan's first judo gold, 2007 world silver, double European champion.
Emilie Andeol
Émilie Andéol (Émilie Gladwys Andéol), French judoka born 1987 in Bordeaux, +78 kg heavyweight, Red Star Champigny; Olympic gold Rio 2016 beating Idalys Ortíz, European champion 2014, retired 2018.
Ezio Gamba
Ezio Gamba (born 1958) is an Italian judoka and coach who won Italy's first Olympic judo gold at Moscow 1980 and led Russia's team at the 2012 London Olympics.
Fabio Basile
Fabio Basile, Italian judoka born 1994 in Rivoli, Olympic champion -66 kg at Rio 2016 with Italy's 200th summer gold; later -73 kg, Grand Slam winner, no world medal.
Frank Wieneke
Frank Wieneke (born 1962, Hannover) is a German judoka, Olympic half-middleweight (≤78 kg) champion 1984 and silver medalist 1988 for West Germany, European champion 1986, and national men's head coach 2000-2008 who coached Ole Bischof to 2008 Olympic gold.
Gene LeBell
Gene LeBell (1932-2022), "Judo" Gene LeBell, American judo champion, professional wrestler, and Hollywood stuntman; won 1954-1955 AAU national judo titles, beat boxer Milo Savage in 1963, and worked on thousands of film and TV projects.
George Harris
George Harris, full name George Lee Harris, was an American heavyweight judoka who competed at judo's Olympic debut in Tokyo in 1964 and later reached ninth-degree black belt.
Giuseppe Maddaloni
Giuseppe 'Pino' Maddaloni, born 1976 in Naples, Italian judoka, Olympic gold medalist in -73 kg at Sydney 2000, beating Tiago Camilo by ippon; European champion 1998 and 1999; son of coach Gianni Maddaloni of Scampia's Star Judo Club.
Guillaume Chaine
Guillaume Chaine, French judoka, -73 kg, born 1986 in Colombes; Olympic mixed team champion at Tokyo 2020, world team silver 2018 and 2019, European team bronze 2019, now coaches COS Sartrouville youth.
Ha Hyeong Ju
Ha Hyeong Ju (하형주, Ha Hyung-joo), born 1962, South Korean judoka; 1984 Los Angeles Olympic gold in men's half-heavyweight (–95 kg), Korea's first Olympic judo gold; world silver 1985, bronze 1987; later Dong-A University professor and sports administrator.
Harsh Singh (judoka)
Harsh Singh (हर्ष सिंह), Indian judoka, men's -60 kg, from Dwarka Delhi, Indian Army Havaldar. First Indian male judoka to win Commonwealth Games gold, Glasgow 2026, beating Joshua Katz 10-0 by waza-ari.
Haruka Tachimoto
Haruka Tachimoto (田知本 遥), born 1990 in Imizu, Toyama, is a Japanese judoka, women's 70 kg. Seventh at London 2012, she won Olympic gold at Rio 2016, beating Yuri Alvear by ippon, then retired.
Haruki Uemura
Haruki Uemura (上村春樹), born 1951 in Kumamoto, Japanese judoka, 1976 Montreal Olympic open-class gold medalist, 1975 world champion, later president of the Kodokan Judo Institute and All Japan Judo Federation.
Hector Rodriguez
Hector Rodriguez (Héctor Rodríguez Torres), Cuban judoka born 1951 in Guanajay; won lightweight 63 kg gold at Montreal 1976, first Cuban Olympic judo champion and first non-Japanese winner of the lightest category; 1973 world bronze; IJF Hall of Fame 2013.
Hidayət Heydərov
Hidayət Heydərov (Hidayat Heydarov), Azerbaijani judoka born 1997, Olympic champion Paris 2024 at -73 kg, world champion 2024, four-time European champion, famed for kata-guruma and golden-score final win over Gaba.
Hidehiko Yoshida
Hidehiko Yoshida (吉田秀彦), Japanese judoka born 1969 in Obu, Aichi; 1992 Barcelona Olympic gold medalist at -78 kg, 1999 world champion at -90 kg, later a PRIDE mixed martial artist.
Hifumi Abe
Hifumi Abe (阿部一二三, born 1997, Kobe) is a Japanese judoka, men's 66 kg. Double Olympic champion (Tokyo 2020, Paris 2024), five-time world champion, known for sode-tsuri-komi-goshi and brother of Uta Abe.
Huseyin Ozkan
Hüseyin Özkan (Bisultanov), born 1972 in Argun, Chechnya, is a Turkish judoka, Sydney 2000 Olympic gold medallist at 66 kg, Türkiye's first and only Olympic judo champion, 1999 world silver medallist, and later national coach.
Idalys Ortiz
Idalys Ortiz Bocourt, Cuban judoka in women's +78 kg; Olympic bronze 2008, gold 2012, silvers 2016 and 2020; four Pan American Games golds, double world champion; retired after Paris 2024.
Ihar Makarau
Ihar Makarau (Ігар Віктаравіч Макараў), Belarusian judoka born 1979 in Homel; Olympic gold in men's 100 kg at Athens 2004, equal fifth at +100 kg in London 2012, world bronze 2003, European champion 2010.
International judo federation
The International Judo Federation (IJF) is the world governing body for judo, founded in London in 1951 and based in Budapest with 205 member federations.
Irakli Tsirekidze
Irakli Tsirekidze (ირაკლი ცირეკიძე) is a Georgian judoka, born in 1982 in Kutaisi, who won the men's middleweight gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics after taking the 2007 world title.
Isabel Fernandez
Isabel Fernandez (María Isabel Fernández Gutiérrez, born 1972), Spanish judoka, Olympic lightweight gold medalist Sydney 2000, world champion Paris 1997, six-time European champion; not the Spanish archer of the same name.
Isamu Sonoda
Isamu Sonoda (園田勇), Japanese judoka (1946–2026) from Yanagawa, Fukuoka; Olympic gold medalist in men's middleweight −80 kg at Montreal 1976 and world champion at Mexico City 1969, with world silver at Lausanne 1973.
Isao Inokuma (猪熊功)
Isao Inokuma (猪熊功), 1938–2001, Japanese judoka; 1964 Tokyo Olympic heavyweight gold and 1965 Rio world open-weight champion; also two-time All-Japan champion and Tokai University coach.