Three days of high-level competition featuring athletes from 57 nations came to a close in Qingdao, China, from Friday to Sunday, June 26–28, delivering another strong statement about the evolving landscape of international judo at the start of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic cycle.
Japan emerged as the dominant force of the tournament, topping the medal table with an impressive haul of five gold, two silver and two bronze medals. Hayato Kondo (-60kg), Hifumi Abe (-66kg), Kokoro Fujishiro (-52kg), Tatsuki Ishihara (-73kg), and Narumi Tanioka (-63kg) each secured gold, underlining Japan’s continued technical and tactical superiority on the world stage.
Russia finished second overall, claiming three gold medals from a 27-athlete delegation. Tamerlan Bashaev (+100kg), Adam Sangariev, and Elis Startseva (+78kg) delivered gold medal performances, reinforcing Russia’s strength in the heavier categories. Germany placed third with one gold, one silver and two bronze medals, with Anna-Monta Olek securing their only title.
Qingdao Grand Prix 2026
Azerbaijan, China, Croatia, Belarus and Turkmenistan completed the top eight in the medal standings. Among the other gold medallists were Zelim Tckaev of Azerbaijan and Wenna Zhang of China, both capitalising on strong performances in front of an engaged home crowd.
Beyond the medal table, the Qingdao Grand Prix had a significant impact on the International Judo Federation World Rankings, triggering notable shifts across multiple weight categories. Takeshi Takeoka moved to world number one in the -66kg division. Yuhei Oino (-81kg), Haruka Kaju (-63kg), Aoife Coughlan of Australia (-70kg), and Inal Tasoev (+100kg) also climbed to the top positions, reshaping the competitive hierarchy early in the Olympic cycle.
The event once again highlighted the increasing competitiveness of global judo, where margins between athletes continue to narrow. As the road to Los Angeles 2028 gains momentum, consistency across the season is proving just as critical as peak performance on the day.
With the Asian leg of the World Judo Tour now concluded, attention shifts to the Americas, where the next phase of Olympic qualification and ranking battles will unfold.
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