There is a rhythm to the European judo calendar and it always begins the same way: in the Austrian Alps, where the sport’s finest gather to shake off the holiday rust and lay the foundations for the year ahead. From 7th to 14th January, more than 900 athletes from 50 nations descend on Mittersill for the first Olympic Training Camp of 2026. This is the place where New Year greetings are exchanged between throws, where training partners reunite and where the serious business of Olympic qualification officially begins. Now, in its 32nd edition, Mittersill has become a second home not only for European judoka but for athletes from across the globe who have made this camp a cornerstone of their annual preparation.
This year’s entry list reads like a who’s who of judo royalty. Olympic champions Romane Dicko (FRA/+70kg/team), Hidayat Heydarov and Zelym Kotsoiev (both AZE/-73kg and -100kg), Lasha Shavdatuashvili (GEO/-73kg), and Lukas Krpalek (CZE/+100kg) lead an extraordinary field that includes world champions, continental title holders and Olympic medallists. For younger athletes and Olympic hopefuls, Mittersill offers something priceless that is the chance to test themselves against the absolute best in training conditions that simply cannot be replicated at home. Thursday afternoon’s (8 January) international coaching seminar, led by Olympic champion Urška Žolnir Jugovar and EJU Referee Commissioner Nuno Carvalho, adds another dimension to what is already an invaluable week.
Mittersill is the first of 10 OTCs scheduled across Europe in 2026 but it will always hold special significance. It is the traditional season opener, the event that sets the tone for everything that follows and with Olympic qualification for Los Angeles 2028 soon to be officially underway, what happens on these Austrian tatami matters, not just for 2026 but for the entire Olympic cycle ahead. Holidays are over. The new year has arrived. Mittersill is ready. Are you?
Schedule
Author: Szandra Szogedi