With many top Olympic hopefuls picking up plenty of valuable Olympic ranking points at those three back-to-back grand slams and therefore taking a well-earned rest this weekend, this grand prix offers a valuable point-scoring opportunity for those looking to qualify through the continental quotas. It will also provide valuable experience and a chance to shine on the world stage for those up-and-coming athletes whose aspirations look beyond Paris 2024 and towards the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028 and even Brisbane 2032.
Nevertheless, the starters in Linz can count 13 world titles and 3 Olympic titles between them. An incredible 528 competitors from 78 countries will take to the tatami at the Tips Arena across three days of competition, with the host nation at full strength with 34 entrants. Here we take a category-by-category look at the ones to watch on day 1 of the competition.
-48kg: Predicting the Unpredictable
At -48kg, with all the world's top 20-ranked athletes absent, the podium places in Linz are there for the taking and who will occupy them is anyone's guess. The top seed is twice World Tour medallist and former junior world champion Hyekyeong Lee (KOR), followed closely by number two seed Mary Dee Vargas Ley (CHI), the current Panamerica-Oceania champion.
The hosts will be placing their hopes on Katarina Tanzer, herself a double grand slam medallist; she comes into the tournament seeded 5th but faces a tough 1st round encounter against 2023 Kodokan Cup winner Mitsuki Kondo (JPN).
World Tour veteran, former African champion and 7th seed Priscilla Morand (MRI) will hope that Linz will see her finally take her first World Tour medal. However, she too faces a Japanese athlete in round 1, Wakana Inagaki. Meanwhile, the Brazilian pair of Amanda Lima and Natasha Ferreira, seeded 3rd and 6th, respectively, both have work to do if they are to secure an Olympic place.
Elsewhere in the draw, Edna Carrillo (MEX), another World Tour stalwart, will be eager to step back onto a grand prix podium for only the second time, a full seven years after she won her first medal in front of a home crowd in Cancun. Likewise, 2017 junior world champion Amber Gersjes (NED) won her first grand prix medal in Zagreb 2021 and will be keen to double her tally in Linz.
-60kg: Garrigos Leads the Way
Unquestionably, the man to beat at -60kg in Linz will be the current world champion and world number one, Francisco Garrigos (ESP). The Spaniard has maintained his good form since securing his first world title in Doha in May last year, winning bronze medals at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam 2023, the 2023 European Championships and, most recently, at the Paris Grand Slam 2024. Two of his three losses across those tournaments came at the hands of the Frenchmen Mkheidze and Valadier-Picard and in Linz he may also have to contend with another in the form of 3rd seed Cedric Revol, who took gold ahead of him in Abu Dhabi.
The Ukrainian duo of Dilshot Khalmatov and Artem Lesiuk, both multiple IJF World Tour medallists, round out the top 4 seeds. Both are in direct qualification places but only one can take their country's spot. Suprise package Michel Augusto (BRA) will be hoping to upset the odds after storming to grand prix silver in Portugal in January. The Brazilian will be looking to repeat that feat in Austria from his position as 7th seed and leapfrog his compatriot Matheus Takaki in the Olympic rankings in the process.
Outside the top eight, several youngsters will have high hopes of making it onto the podium. 19-year-old Petros Christodoulides (CYP) won his first grand prix medal at the inaugural edition of this event in 2023. Chong-You Lin (TPE), a former cadet world champion, will be eager to make his first mark on the World Tour and Yuta Higuchi (JPN), 2023 Kodokan Cup winner, will undoubtedly pose a threat. Can any of the hopefuls take down the world number one?
-52kg: Last Year's Medallists Are Back for More
Three of the medallists at -52kg from last year's event have returned to Linz hoping for more silverware to add to their growing collections. Gultaj Mammadaliyeva (AZE) was one of the standouts in the category in 2023, winning 3 World Tour medals back-to-back in May and June on top of her bronze medal in Linz, and she is seeded 2nd. The other bronze medallist Maria Siderot (POR) comes in seeded 8th, while last year's silver medallist Rosa Gyertyas is unseeded. Both currently sit outside the qualification places for Paris, so winning here is vital to keep them in the running. Gyertyas will have to get past top seed Larissa Pimenta (BRA) if she wants to have a chance of a medal and will face Siderot at the quarter final stage should they both make it through.
Several other rising stars will likely give the seeded players a run for their money. Mammadaliyeva will have to contend with a round 3 contest against either Naomi Van Krevel (NED), bronze medallist at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam 2023, or Rin Kamiya (JPN), last year's junior world champion. 19-year-old Mio Huh (KOR) won an excellent bronze medal at the Zagreb Grand Prix 2023, while Sofia Asvesta (CYP) has produced admirable performances in back-to-back grand slams leading up to this event. Whatever happens, there will be no easy path to a medal for the eventual victors.
-66kg: Shmailov and Flicker Showdown
All eyes will be on the Israeli entrants at -66kg: Baruch Shmailov and Tal Flicker. Both judoka have been mainstays of the IJF World Tour for a decade and have dominated the category in their home country. They are currently neck-and-neck in the Olympic rankings with Shmailov having a slight advantage, having won a silver medal in Tashkent last weekend. With the pair seeded 3rd and 4th, respectively, there is the potential for an eye-catching final between them should they both win through.
Doing so will be far from easy, however, as Shmailov will likely have to get past Baku Grand Slam 2024 winner and top seed Alberto Gaitero Martin (ESP), who took bronze at this event in 2023, while Flicker faces a potential semi-final with Paris Grand Slam 2023 gold medallist and number two seed Bodgan Iadov (UKR).
Beyond the top seeds, there are several World Tour medallists who could cause an upset. Veterans Yanislav Gerchev (BUL) and Kherlen Ganbold (MGL) are capable of beating the very best and their younger counterparts Samuel Hall (GBR) and Ismail Misirov (AIN) are always dangerous. The home crowd will be right behind 20-year-old Marcus Auer (AUT), who impressed by winning gold in the Gyor European Open a few weeks ago in what was his first competition after moving up a weight category from -60kg.
-57kg: Plenty at Stake for the Top Seeds
The battle to reach the podium at -57kg is likely to be dominated by the seeded players. All top four seeds are currently occupying direct Olympic qualification places, while the 5th, 6th and 7th seeds are only a few places away from achieving the same goal. Top seed Marica Perisic (SRB) leads the way; she will be aiming for a podium finish a year after just missing out on bronze here in 2023. 5th seed Pleuni Cornelisse (NED) beat 3rd and 6th seeds Kaja Kajzer (SLO) and Hasret Bozkurt (TUR), respectively, en route to gold at this event last year but has struggled for form since then.
Among the youngsters looking to spoil the party will be Qazaqstan Barysy Grand Slam 2023 bronze medallist Julie Beurskens (NED), 2022 junior world champion Ozlem Yildiz (TUR) and the French one-two of Ophelie Vellozzi and Chloe Devictor, the latter of whom was junior world champion at -52kg in 2021.
Day 1 of the Upper Austria Grand Prix 2024 kicks off on Friday 8th March 2024 at 10:00 local time, with the athletes competing across four tatami in front of a 2000-strong crowd. Strap in for another weekend of top quality judo; catch all the action live on JudoTV.com.