Baku Tatamis Open for World Championships as 640 Judokas Chase Olympic Quotas
The 2026 World Judo Championships opened on Sunday, Oct. 4, in Baku, Azerbaijan, bringing together 640 fighters from 97 nations for eight days of individual and team competition, France Judo reported. With the international football calendar on an international break and few major tennis or mixed martial arts events on the immediate schedule, the tournament serves as the final major showcase of the year for the sport. Action on the tatamis in the Azerbaijani capital began at 10 a.m. local French time, with athletes competing not only for world titles but also for crucial ranking points in the qualification race for the upcoming Olympic Games.
French Squad Competes Without Teddy Riner Due to Shoulder Injury
France Judo named a 16-athlete delegation on Sept. 25, traveling to Baku without heavyweight cornerstone Teddy Riner. The multiple-time Olympic and world champion was forced to withdraw from the tournament after suffering a shoulder injury over the summer. Despite the absence of their most decorated competitor, the French selection features established title contenders, including reigning 73-kg world champion Joan-Benjamin Gaba, Shirine Boukli, and Romane Dicko. Clarisse Agbegnenou also joins the squad in the 63-kg division, returning to major international competition just five months after giving birth to her second child and claiming a bronze medal at the Lausanne Grand Slam in late August.
France Seeks Redemption After Disappointing 2025 World Championships
The French team enters this year’s championships looking to rebound from an underperformance at the previous edition, where the nation secured only four medals. The women’s squad, typically a dominant force for France, claimed just two bronze medals through Sarah-Léonie Cysique and Romane Dicko, while the mixed team event finished off the podium entirely. Competition in Baku remains fierce, led by traditional powerhouse Japan and a strong contingent of Russian judokas, alongside host nation fighters backed by home crowds.
RMC Sport Broadcasts World Judo Tour Alongside Combat Sports
Domestic television and streaming rights for the tournament belong to RMC Sport, which positioned the event alongside its broader combat sports catalog. The broadcast window follows an unusual combat sports lineup on the platform, which aired the UFC 332 card featuring Natalia Silva and Wang Cong in the women’s flyweight division hours before the Baku preliminaries commenced. RMC Sport features the World Judo Tour alongside its existing MMA offerings, including the PFL, Hexagone MMA, KSW, and Zuffa Boxing coverage.
Daily Tournament Program Through October 11
Competition runs from Oct. 4 through Oct. 10, with one men’s and one women’s weight category contested during each of the first seven days of the schedule. The global tournament concludes on Sunday, Oct. 11, with the mixed team event, serving as the final medal contest of the week-long championships in Baku.
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