The Paris 2024 “Did you know?” sections will provide viewers with interesting, lesser-known facts related to each day of the competition.
-52kg / -66kg
- The reigning Olympic gold medallist in the -52kg category, Abe Uta (JPN), will be unseeded in Paris, which is likely to dash many dreams early on.
- Double Olympic medallist, An Baul (KOR) will also enter the field of play unseeded in the -66kg category.
- There are actually 2 reigning Olympic champions competing in the -52kg category. How? Distria Krasniqi (KOS) won gold in the -48kg category in Tokyo 2020. Since then she has been a dominant force in the -52kg category.
- Cyprus returns to the Olympic scene after 20 years. Sofia Asvesta qualified in the -52kg category, becoming the first ever Cypriot female judoka to compete at the Olympics.
- The last European judoka to win an Olympic gold in the -66kg category was Fabio Basile (ITA).
- France also has an Olympic champion in the -52kg category, Legna Verdecia. She won gold at Sydney 2000.
Judo made its Olympic debut at the Tokyo Games in 1964, and Paris 2024 will mark its 60th anniversary as an Olympic sport.
Author: Szandra Szogedi