About the World Judo Championships
The World Judo Championships represent a sporting event held under the auspices of the International Judo Federation (IJF). Nowadays, the Championships are held every year except for the years when the Olympic Games are taking place.
2027 World Judo Championships
The 2027 World Judo Championships will take place in Astana, Kazakhstan, from June 7 to 14, 2027. The International Judo Federation (IJF) officially confirmed Kazakhstan as the host of the World Championships following the signing of an agreement in October 2024.
From June 7 to 13, athletes will compete for medals in the individual weight categories, while the mixed team event will take place on June 14. The world's top judokas will compete on the tatami, with the championship serving as one of the key events of the Olympic cycle ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Hosting the World Championships will also be a significant milestone for judo in Kazakhstan. The country regularly stages major international events and Kazakh judoka have achieved notable results on the global stage in recent years. In particular, Yeldos Smetov won Kazakhstan's first-ever Olympic gold medal in judo at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The exact dates and detailed competition schedule for the 2027 World Championships have not yet been officially published in the IJF calendar.
History of the World Judo Championships
The first official World Judo Championships were held in Tokyo in 1956. In the early years, the competition featured only male athletes and did not use the modern system of weight categories.
Weight divisions were introduced at the World Championships in 1965. The first Women's World Judo Championships were held in 1980. Men's and women's competitions were later brought together under the same World Championships, while team events also became part of the programme.
Today, the World Judo Championships are among the most prestigious events on the international judo calendar. Since 2007, the competition has generally been held annually, except in Olympic years, although the calendar and format of individual editions may be adjusted by the International Judo Federation.
Interesting Facts
- History: The first World Judo Championships took place in Tokyo in 1956.
- Host city: Astana, Kazakhstan, will host the 2027 World Judo Championships.
- Format: The programme will include both individual and team competitions.
- Olympic cycle: The tournament will be an important international event on the road to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
- Kazakhstan and judo: Hosting the championships highlights Kazakhstan's growing role as a venue for major international judo competitions.
Previous World Judo Championships results
| The year | Venue | Results/ Medal Standings |
| 2026 | Baku (Azerbaijan) | |
| 2025 | Budapest (Hungary) | 1 - Japan (gold - 6, silver - 4, bronze - 5) 2- International Judo Federation (Russia) (gold - 3, silver - 0, bronze - 2) 3 - Georgia (gold - 2, silver - 2, bronze - 1) |
| 2024 | Abu Dhabi (UAE) | 1 - Japan (gold - 4, silver - 1, bronze - 5) 2- Georgia (gold - 2, silver - 1, bronze - 2) 3 - Italy (gold - 2, silver - 1, bronze - 1) |
2029 World Judo Championships
The next World Judo Championships are scheduled for 2029. The exact dates and location have not yet been announced, but the tournament is expected to retain its status as the premier event in the world of judo.
Official website of the International Judo Federation
Keep an eye on the dates of judo championships and other events in our Sports Events Calendar.
