There are 784 days until the lights rise on the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. It sounds distant, even comfortable. Yet, every athlete who has lived through an Olympic cycle knows the truth that time moves differently when a dream is on the line. One blink becomes one tournament. One tournament becomes a season. Suddenly, the destination is no longer far away.
For the judo world, that journey is about to become very real. Fresh from an intense Olympic Training Camp in Benidorm, where elite athletes from across Europe and beyond sharpened their preparations together, attention now turns towards the beginning of qualification. The first points towards LA2028 will be awarded at the Ulaanbaatar Grand Slam in Mongolia on 19–21 June. The race is almost here.
For some, this will be familiar territory. For others, everything is new. The excitement, the pressure, the sacrifices, the uncertainty… and perhaps above all else, the belief.
Among those stepping into Olympic qualification for the first time is Mihajlo Simin (SRB), whose bronze medal at the Senior European Championships in Tbilisi this year announced him firmly among Europe’s rising names. Yet beneath the achievement sits something even bigger, called possibility.
“Now I know I belong. Before Europeans, I questioned whether I could really compete at that level but afterwards, I realised they are the same rivals, the same people. Now I know I can fight with them and I’m going for a world medal.”
He also carries guidance close to him. His partner, two-time Olympian Marica Perišić, understands what lies ahead. “She knows the road already. She can help me understand what it feels like, how to manage it and how to go through it all. I will try to be the best version of myself until the Olympics. Then I will try to win the medal I have always dreamed about.”
Another athlete standing at the starting line for her first Olympic qualification is April Fohouo (SUI), also bronze medallist of the 2026 senior Europeans. Young, ambitious and aware of the scale of the challenge ahead, she speaks with the excitement only first dreams can bring.
“I am proud to be part of this dream. The Olympic Games are the biggest goal in an athlete’s career and I want to experience everything that comes with trying to reach them. I have spoken about this journey with my teammate, Binta Ndiaye, who has already been through the process. I am simply excited to begin.”
Her biggest sacrifice so far? Not medals. Not physical hardship. Simply time. “Maybe my social life… but it’s worth it.”
Olympic dreams rarely arrive without cost. Some give up evenings with friends, others birthdays, family moments… normality.
Now, those already experienced on this road understand something important: qualification is not won in one tournament. It is won through consistency, patience and endurance.
Double Olympic medallist Romane Dicko (FRA) knows exactly what that means. LA2028 could become another chapter in an already exceptional career but experience has taught her perspective.
“Two years feels short but it’s also very long. There are competitions, stress and difficult moments. You cannot think about Los Angeles every day. You have to treat qualification itself as the competition.”
For those beginning their first cycle, her message is powerful. Simple. Necessary. “Be brave. It’s going to be hard. Sometimes you will lose, sometimes you will fall but if this is your project, give everything. Train hard. Keep going.”
Perhaps her most striking reflection came when discussing sacrifice. “I don’t call them sacrifices. They are hard choices. Nobody forced me to live this life. These are decisions I make because of what I want to achieve.”
Olympic champion Yeldos Smetov (KAZ) arrives at another qualification cycle carrying something different: experience and expectation. After injury setbacks and recovery, he returns focused, disciplined and ready.
His advice for younger judoka beginning their first qualification campaign comes from years spent at the highest level.
“Focus only on sport. Train. Train more. Stay strong mentally. Stay disciplined. Work all the time.”
There are no shortcuts. No hidden formula. Only work.
World champion Inal Tasoev (RUS) echoes that same message and past Olympic disappointment has not weakened ambition. It has strengthened it.
“The biggest lesson I learned from the last cycle is to work even more, physically, technically and mentally. You cannot give up. You move forward. You work harder.”
That is Olympic qualification, not glamour, not headlines, not podium photographs. It is early mornings, recovery rooms, missed celebrations, long camps, flights home after painful defeats and starting again… again… and again.
In less than one month, the race officially begins. Every weekend will matter. Every ranking point. Every contest. Every second. One victory can open a door. One loss can change everything. We have seen dreams realised. We have seen dreams broken.
Now another wave of dream makers steps forward, some pursuing their first Olympic appearance, others chasing history.
Los Angeles is waiting. The judo world is ready for you.
Author: Szandra Szogedi