(Reuters) – The 2020 Tokyo Olympics includes 33 sports including Judo, which originated in host country Japan.
Here are some key facts about judo at the Olympics.
Introduced: Judo debuted at the 1964 Tokyo Games, with the women’s competition added in 1992.
Events: Men and women compete in seven different weight classes each, ranging from the -60 kg (132.28 lb) category to the +100 kg (+220.46 lb) category on the men’s side and -40 kg (88.18 lb) to +78 kg (+171.96 lb) on the women’s side.
There is also one mixed-team event, which will feature in the Games for the first time this year.
Scoring and rules: Judo competitors win if an ‘Ippon’ is scored through throwing an opponent on their back forcefully or pinning them to the mat or otherwise subduing them.
If no ‘Ippon’ is scored, the competitor who claims the most points during the four-minute match wins.
Technique: Judo is squarely a combat sport, with a mixture of quick thinking and power essential for top competitors.
While throwing an opponent to the mat is a prized maneuver, there are also 32 different recognized grappling techniques that can be used while not in a standing position.
Top competitors: Judo is Japan’s top sport, the country having won 39 Olympic gold medals, more than any other nation.
French heavyweight Teddy Riner is aiming for his third consecutive Olympic gold this year, which would match the record held by Japan’s Tadahiro Nomura.
Sources: International Olympic Committee, Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, IJF, USA Judo
(Graphics: Judo – https://graphics.reuters.com/OLYMPICS-2020-JUDO/0100B5FE3P1/JUDO.jpg)
(Reporting by Amy Tennery; Editing by Ken Ferris)
