Host city of the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, this week the Marvellous City is the stage for the World Judo Championships, the sport’s main competition this year. Until 1 September, the greatest athletes of all continents will compete for medals at Maracanãzinho Arena, which might look a bit small for the crowd of supporters. Tickets for all seven days of the event are already sold out. (Follow the championships’ coverage her)

The Rio de Janeiro World Championships will gather 783 athletes from 124 countries. Brazil is hosting the competition for the third time and competes with a full team. There are 18 Brazilian judokas, including five world ranking leaders. Luiz Shinohara has been the coach of Brazil men’s national team since 2001 and has already helped Brazil win six Olympic medals. He also talks about the main opponents: “I see the athletes from Japan, Russia, Georgia and South Korea as the Brazilians’ main opponents”, he said.

France is another country with a powerful team. Among its stars is heavyweight Teddy Riner, who took gold in London 2012 and bronze in Beijing 2008, besides being five-time world champion – with four individual titles and a team one. The French star won his first title in Rio de Janeiro in 2007.

“For me, everything started in Rio. And, as we begin a new Olympic cycle, I have a good chance of having a great performance. I hope I’ll be able to impose my Judo technique. Athletic pubalgia made training a little difficult but I’m very fit”, said Riner.

The middleweight class events – under 90 kg for men and under 70 kg for women –, which will take place on the 30^th, are expected to be the most intense, considering the number of titles. Judokas that won medals in world championships and that will compete in this class are: South Korean Kyu-Won Lee, 2011 winner; Georgian Varlam Liparteliani, 2009 champion; Dutch Guillaume Elmont, 2005 World Championships winner; besides Greek Ilias Iliadis, Athens 2004 Olympic Games gold medallist and two-time world champion.

In women’s events, there are also plenty of gold medals. Colombian Yuri Alvear and Cuban Onix Cortés won the 2009 and 2006 World Championships respectively. French Lucie Décosse took gold in the London 2012 Olympic Games. The Brazilian representatives in this class are Eduardo Santos, who is replacing Tiago Camilo that hurt himself while training, and Maria Portela, a judoka with several titles in Grand Slams as well as continental events.

It is worth mentioning that, during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Judo events will be hosted at the Rio Olympic Arena in Barra zone, one of the Rio 2007 Pan American Games greatest legacies. Maracanãzinho Arena will host Volleyball events.

Check out the programme:

23 August – IJF General Assembly (9h-18h, Hotel Sofitel, Copacabana)
25 August – Technical Congress, Fight Draw and Press Conference (14h, Hotel Royal Tulip, São Conrado)
26 August – 60 kg, 48 kg (from 10h, Maracanãzinho)
27 August – 66 kg, 52 kg (from 10h, Maracanãzinho)
28 August – 73 kg, 57 kg (from 10h, Maracanãzinho)
29 August – 81 kg, 63 kg (from 10h, Maracanãzinho)
30 August – 90 kg, 70 kg, 78 kg (from 9h, Maracanãzinho)
31 August – 100 kg, +100 kg, +78 kg (from 9h, Maracanãzinho)
1 September – Team Competition (from 9h, Maracanãzinho)