152 articles
Marie Claire Restoux
Marie-Claire Restoux (Restoux-Gasset), French judoka born 1968 in La Rochefoucauld, -52 kg specialist. Olympic champion Atlanta 1996 and double world champion (Chiba 1995, Paris 1997), bronze at Birmingham 1999.
Mark Huizinga
Mark Huizinga (born 1973, Vlaardingen) is a Dutch judoka, Olympic gold medallist at -90 kg in Sydney 2000 and bronze medallist at Atlanta 1996 and Athens 2004, with five European titles and the eponymous Huizinga roll.
Masae Ueno
Masae Ueno (上野雅恵), born 1979 in Asahikawa, Japan, judoka who won Olympic gold in women's -70 kg at Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008, plus world titles in 2001 and 2003.
Masahiko Kimura (木村政彦)
Masahiko Kimura (木村政彦, 1917–1993), Japanese judoka from Kumamoto, All-Japan champion 1937–1939 and 13 years unbeaten; beat Hélio Gracie in 1951, giving his name to the Kimura lock; later pro wrestler with Rikidozan.
Masato Uchishiba
Masato Uchishiba (内柴 正人), Japanese judoka, double Olympic gold medalist in men's 66 kg half-lightweight at Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008; later convicted of raping a student he coached and sentenced to five years in prison.
Mashu Baker
Mashu Baker (ベイカー茉秋, born 1994) is a Japanese judoka who won gold in the men's 90 kg division at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Japan's first middleweight gold since 1976.
Maxime Gael Ngayap Hambou
Maxime-Gaël Ngayap Hambou, French judoka (born 2001, Clichy), -90 kg, AM Asnières club. Paris 2024 bronze in -90 kg and mixed team gold; European silver 2025, bronze 2026.
Miku Tashiro
Miku Tashiro (田代 未来), now Miku Takaichi, Japanese judoka born 1994, -63 kg. Two Youth Olympic golds 2010, four world medals, five Grand Slam and four Masters titles, Olympic mixed team silvers at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.
Miriam Blasco
Miriam Blasco (Míriam Blasco Soto), Spanish judoka born 1963 in Valladolid; won gold at Barcelona 1992, first Spanish woman Olympic champion, world champion 1991, senator 2000–2004.
Mitsuyo Maeda (前田光世)
Mitsuyo Maeda (前田光世), Conde Koma, 1878-1941, Japanese Kodokan judoka who fought worldwide, settled in Belem, Brazil in 1915, and is traditionally credited with teaching Carlos Gracie, a disputed link.
Naidangiin Tuvshinbayar
Naidangiin Tuvshinbayar (Найдангийн Түвшинбаяр), Mongolian judoka born 1984, won Mongolia's first Olympic gold at 100 kg in Beijing 2008, silver in London 2012, and was sentenced in 2022 to 16 years for killing a friend.
Naohisa Takato
Naohisa Takato (髙藤 直寿), born 1993, Japanese judoka in the -60 kg class: Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion, Rio 2016 bronze medalist, four-time world champion, Park 24 athlete who retired in March 2026.
Nikolay Solodukhin
Nikolay Ivanovich Solodukhin (Николай Иванович Солодухин), Soviet judoka born 1955 in Paserkovo, Kursk Oblast; 1980 Moscow Olympic half-lightweight (65 kg) champion, world champion 1979 and 1983, European champion 1979, later a Kursk police colonel.
Nora Gjakova
Nora Gjakova, Kosovar judoka born 1992 in Peja, Olympic 57 kg champion at Tokyo 2020, European champion 2018, Kosovo flag bearer Paris 2024; retired December 31, 2025, now coaching in Belgium.
Noriko Anno
Noriko Anno (阿武教子), born 1976 in Yamaguchi, Japan, is a judoka who won Olympic gold at Athens 2004 in the -78 kg class and four straight world titles (1997, 1999, 2001, 2003), after 1993 world silver.
Odalis Reve
Odalis Revé (Odalis Revé Jiménez), Cuban judoka born 1970 in Sagua de Tánamo; 1992 Barcelona Olympic champion in women's middleweight -66 kg, beating Emanuela Pierantozzi; four world medals; first Latin American woman Olympic judo champion.
Ole Bischof
Ole Bischof (born 1979, Reutlingen) is a retired German judoka, under 81 kg, Olympic champion Beijing 2008 and silver medalist London 2012, world bronze 2009, European champion 2005, later DOSB vice president.
Paula Pareto
Paula Belén Pareto ("La Peque"), born 1986, Argentine judoka and physician; Olympic gold Rio 2016 and bronze Beijing 2008 at -48 kg, world champion 2015, IOC member since 2024.
Paweł Nastula
Paweł Nastula, Polish judoka born 1970 in Warsaw, Olympic half-heavyweight champion Atlanta 1996, world champion 1995 and 1997, three-time European champion, later PRIDE MMA fighter and Warsaw club coach.
Peter Seisenbacher
Peter Seisenbacher, Austrian judoka (born 1960, Vienna), middleweight -86 kg; Olympic gold 1984 and 1988, first judoka to defend an Olympic title; world champion 1985; later convicted of sexual abuse and sentenced to five years in prison.
Robert van de Walle
Robert Van de Walle (born 1954, Ostend) is a Belgian judoka, Olympic gold medalist at -95 kg in Moscow 1980 and bronze medalist in Seoul 1988, and the first judoka to compete at five Olympic Games (1976-1992).
Rogerio Sampaio
Rogério Sampaio (Rogério Sampaio Cardoso), Brazilian judoka born 1967 in Santos, won half-lightweight (−65 kg) gold at Barcelona 1992 and later became COB director-general.
Romane Dicko
Romane Dicko, French judoka born 1999 in Clamart, +78 kg heavyweight with PSG Judo. Double Olympic mixed-team champion (Tokyo 2020, Paris 2024), individual bronze both Games, world champion 2022, five-time European champion.
Ryoko Tamura Tani
Ryoko Tamura Tani (谷亮子), Japanese judoka born 1975 in Fukuoka; won judo medals at five straight Olympics 1992–2008 (gold 2000, 2004) and seven world titles in the 48 kg class, then entered Japanese politics.
Sarah Leonie Cysique
Sarah Leonie Cysique, French judoka (women's 57 kg), born 1998 in Sarcelles; four Olympic medals: Tokyo 2020 silver and mixed-team gold, Paris 2024 bronze and mixed-team gold; ACBB, INSEP, SNCF athlete.
Sarah Menezes
Sarah Menezes (Sarah Gabrielle Cabral de Menezes), Brazilian judoka born 1990 in Teresina, Piauí; first Brazilian woman to win Olympic judo gold (London 2012, -48 kg, beating Alina Dumitru), later head coach of Brazil's women's judo team at Paris 2024.
Satoshi Ishii (石井慧)
Satoshi Ishii (石井慧), born 1986, Japanese judoka who won +100 kg gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics by beating Abdullo Tangriyev, then left judo for a long MMA career (about 25-13-1) with stints in K-1, Bellator, and PFL; Croatian citizen since 2019.
Sergey Novikov
Sergey Petrovich Novikov (Сергей Петрович Новиков), Soviet judoka (1949-2021): 1976 Montreal Olympic heavyweight (>93 kg) gold, 1975 world silver, three European judo titles, later founder and head of Unifight.
Séverine Vandenhende
Séverine Vandenhende (born 1974, Dechy) is a French judoka, Olympic champion at -63 kg in Sydney 2000 and world champion at -61 kg in Paris 1997, later coach of France's women's team.
Shinji Hosokawa
Shinji Hosokawa (細川伸二, born 1960), Japanese judoka, extra-lightweight (-60 kg): 1984 Los Angeles Olympic champion, 1985 Seoul world champion, 1987 world silver, 1988 Olympic bronze; later coach of Tadahiro Nomura, Shohei Ono, and Joshiro Maruyama.