Europe’s leading judoka waste no time after the 2026 European Judo Championships, carrying their momentum straight into the next leg of the World Judo Tour as the road toward qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games begins to take shape.
The tour now moves to Kazakhstan for the Qazaqstan Barysy Grand Slam 2026 (8-10 May), where a strong field featuring world, European and Olympic medallists is set to compete.
On the men’s side, Russia’s Inal Tasoev headlines the +100kg category. The world number one arrives as top seed, facing a stacked European contingent that includes Grzegorz Teresiński and Losseni Kone, ranked second and third respectively on the entry list.
At -100kg, Simeon Catharina looks to build on his European Championship silver medal and continue a strong run of form. The Dutchman is chasing a third consecutive podium finish this season, a notable turnaround after a frustrating series of fifth-place finishes.
In the -90kg division, Mihael Latisev enters as second seed, while compatriot Victor Sterpu represents Moldova at -81kg. Also in the -90kg field is Christian Parlati, the 2025 European champion, making his first appearance of 2026.
Meanwhile, his teammate Fabio Basile, Olympic champion at Rio 2016, returns to competition after a last-minute call-up to the Europeans in the -73kg category, adding further star power to an already deep line-up.
On the women’s side, Joanne van Lieshout arrives in the -63kg category as the newly crowned European champion and top seed in the draw. She faces strong opposition from both the Americas and Asia, including recent Panamerican champion Jessica Klimkait and Olympic medallist Rafaela Silva.
Germany’s Anna Olek, a world silver medallist, leads the -78kg field as top seed. Her path to gold could include a high-profile clash with teammate Alina Böhm, the double European champion seeded second in the category.
The German delegation fields more strength across the women’s categories, with Olympic silver medallist Miriam Butkereit competing at -70kg and Seija Ballhaus in the -57kg category.
Among the lighter weights, the Netherlands’ Amber Gersjes builds on the momentum of her first Grand Slam medal, a silver in Dushanbe, and aims to maintain her upward trajectory as Olympic qualification approaches. In the -57kg division, Italy’s Veronica Toniolo continues her return from injury, looking to rebound after an early exit at the European Championships.
Qazaqstan Barysy Grand Slam 2026: Competition Schedule
Start times are yet to be confirmed.
Day 1, Friday 8 May
Men: -60kg, -66kg
Women: -48kg, -52kg, -57kg
Day 2, Saturday 9 May
Men: -73kg, -81kg
Women: -63kg, -70kg
Day 3, Sunday 10 May
Men: -90kg, -100kg, +100kg
Women: -78kg, +78kg
Where can I watch?
You can follow all the action live on JudoTV.com.
Author: EJU Media