The Ecole Mont-Olivet Lausanne Grand Slam 2026 begins today at the Vaudoise Arena, marking the first Grand Slam in the history of Swiss judo and bringing 513 judoka from 77 countries to the Olympic Capital.
The draw was held on Thursday 27 August at the competition venue. The World Judo Tour’s arrival in Lausanne comes during an important stage of the qualification period for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. The judoka competing in Switzerland will be looking for ranking points and stronger positions on the road to the Olympics.
Russia has the largest delegation in Lausanne with 22 judoka. Uzbekistan follows with 21, while Germany, Brazil and the Netherlands have 19 each. The United States has 17 athletes, Israel 16, while Ukraine, Kazakhstan and France have 15 each. The IJF team is also represented by eight judoka.
The entry list extends well beyond the established judo powers. Saudi Arabia, Niger, Paraguay, South Korea, Rwanda, Togo, Uruguay, Vietnam, Madagascar and Venezuela are also represented. The geographical spread of the field is one of the notable features of Switzerland’s first Grand Slam and reflects the wider reach of judo development in recent years.
Lausanne will also host two other competitions alongside the main Grand Slam. The Lausanne Adapted Judo Grand Slam will take place on Friday, while the Lausanne Deaf Judo Masters Top 18 will be held on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 August. All three competitions will take place at the Vaudoise Arena.
Holding three competitions at the same venue gives the Lausanne programme a different structure. World Judo Tour athletes, adapted judoka and deaf judoka will compete in the same arena, within hours of one another. For adapted and deaf judo, competing alongside a major IJF event provides greater visibility and places their athletes within the centre of an international competition programme.
Vladimir Barta, IJF Head Sport Director, Kosei Inoue, IJF Sport Director, and Armen Bagdasarov, IJF Head Referee Director, attended the Grand Slam draw. Swiss Judo Federation President Sergei Aschwanden, Sport Director Dominique Hischier and Tracko President Olivier Schmutz also took part.
Marina Draskovic and Kerry Tansey, members of the IJF Inclusion Commission, attended the adapted judo draw. Damien Antoine, President of the Deaf International Judo Federation, and Secretary General Talgat Abdymamynov were present for the draw for the Deaf Judo Masters.
Opening the draw ceremony, Barta said that bringing the first Grand Slam to the Olympic Capital during the Los Angeles 2028 qualification period gives the competition particular significance. He also underlined the importance of the programme’s inclusion of athletes with disabilities.
Aschwanden also highlighted the significance of hosting three competitions at the same venue and said the Swiss Judo Federation hoped all three would deliver a high sporting standard in a strong competitive environment.
Draskovic described the participation of adapted judoka alongside World Judo Tour athletes as a historic moment. Antoine, speaking in sign language, also presented the shared programme as an example of cooperation and participation across different groups of athletes.
Competition Schedule
The Lausanne Grand Slam will be held over three days. Competition begins at 08:30 on the first two days, with the opening ceremony scheduled for 16:20 on day two. The final day starts at 09:30, with medal contests from 17:00.
The Adapted Judo Grand Slam begins at 08:30 on Friday, with the medal ceremony at 15:00. The Deaf Judo Masters Top 18 will start at 08:30 on Saturday and 09:30 on Sunday, with its medal ceremony scheduled for 15:00.
For Switzerland, Lausanne’s importance goes beyond hosting its first Grand Slam. The arrival of the event in a city closely associated with the Olympic movement gives Swiss judo a new presence on the international calendar. With 513 judoka from 77 countries competing, Lausanne’s first Grand Slam has also attracted a substantial international field.
Last related articles
