Only two weeks after the inaugural Ecole Mont Olivet Lausanne Grand Slam, the World Judo Tour returns to one of its most familiar and eagerly anticipated destinations. For the hundreds of judoka travelling to Hungary, the objective is clear: to pursue honours, medals and valuable points on the road to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Budapest carries particular importance this season. It is the final World Judo Tour event before the World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, scheduled for October. With world championship selection places still at stake and eligibility reserved for athletes within the world’s top 100, every contest and every point could prove decisive.
The Hungary Grand Slam will therefore be anything but a gentle return to competition. With so much at stake, the battles are expected to be fierce from the opening round to the medal contests.
Dr Lisa Allan, IJF Secretary General, welcomed the judo family to Budapest, “We are honoured to be here in Budapest with our colleagues from the Hungarian Judo Association, newly elected President Mr Krisztian Toth, Secretary General Mr Andras Nagy and Sport Director Mr Miklos Cirjenics.
On behalf of International Judo Federation President Mr Marius Vizer and the International Judo Federation, we extend a warm welcome to you all. This is the final event of the IJF World Judo Tour in 2026 before the upcoming World Championships, so for the athletes every point counts.
We would like to thank the Hungarian Judo Association for their tremendous commitment, hard work and passion, making this event possible and ensuring the highest level of organisation. This event brings together our global judo family, united by our shared values and a love of judo, to witness the very best judoka compete here at the Papp László Arena.
A special and sincere thank you goes to all our member national federations and sponsors for their continued trust and support. We wish everyone a wonderful three days of unforgettable, world-class judo.”
Krisztian Toth, president of the Hungarian Judo Association, declared, “Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends of judo, it is a great honour for us to welcome you all to Budapest for the Hungary Grand Slam 2026 draw.
The draw is always a special moment as this is where the competition begins for every athlete. I wish all of you fair, exciting and memorable contests. I would also like to thank the IJF for its support and organisation, as well as my colleagues from the Hungarian Judo Association. I wish every athlete the very best of luck.”
From 11th to 13th September, the preliminary rounds will begin at 9am each day before the final block begins at 5pm. Since the launch of the Olympic qualification period, opportunities to shine have already been plentiful. They will multiply further in the weeks and months ahead.
However, it is only at the end of this long journey that the Olympic qualifiers will be known. For now, the focus is on Hungary where so much will be decided in the coming days. Follow all the latest World Judo Tour action across IJF platforms, with live commentary from Neil Adams and Dennis van der Geest, who will also return at the end of each day for the Golden Score show.