If the train’s about to leave...
5 key facts about judo and the Olympic and Paralympic Games:
- Judo is said to have been invented in 1882 by a Japanese ju-jitsu teacher.
- The sport made its first appearance at the Olympic Games in 1964
- There are 7 weight categories for both men and women
- The word judo literally translates as “gentle way”
- The Swiss Olympic judo team has won 4 medals since 1964.
If you’re having a snack in your seat waiting for the train to leave,
Then you also have time to get to know this sport. All aboard for the land of the rising sun: Japan. And you can do this in just 5 minutes on the train, no sweat!
Get to grips with its history
Legend has it that a Japanese ju-jitsu teacher named Jigorō Kanō invented the discipline in 1882.
Judo differs from ju-jitsu in that it eliminates rather violent and sometimes dangerous fighting techniques from its practice. Above all, it is a sport that promotes ethical values and self-control, almost bordering on spirituality. Judo advocates non-violence, even though it is in fact a combat sport.
Where and how do you practise judo?
- Judo is practised in a dojo, with judokas dressed in traditional judogis (not kimonos), on tatami mats to cushion any falls. The tatamis are arranged in a square to mark out the practice or combat area.
- The main objective of this discipline (in theory) is to get your opponent on the ground, pinned on their back, and prevent them from moving (immobilising them) or make them surrender by using various fighting techniques.
💡 Did you know?
The creator of judo was above all interested in education. A moral code was consequently established several years later, in 1985. This code includes values such as:
- Courtesy,
- Courage,
- Honesty,
- Honour,
- Modesty,
- Respect,
- Self-control,
- Friendship
At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, judo will involve:
- 7 weight categories for men and 7 for women, ranging from under 60 kg to over 100 kg for men and from under 48 kg to over 78 kg for women.
- The events take the form of a tournament.
- 372 judokas take part in the tournament: 186 women and 186 men.
- Each delegation can have a maximum of one competitor in each weight category. In other words, 7 women and 7 men for each country.
- Each category competes on a given day. For example, the under-60 kg men will compete on 27 July 2024, with a knock-out format in the morning, and the final and repechage matches in the afternoon.
At the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, judo will involve:
- 4 categories for men, from under 60 kg to over 90 kg, and 4 categories for women, from under 48 kg to over 70 kg.
- 2 disability classifications for both men and women, based on the level of visual impairment: visually impaired or blind.
💡 Swiss Olympic and Paralympic winning athletes:
- At the very first Olympics Games to host judo – the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games – Eric Hänni, from the Swiss Jura, took second place on the podium.
- Jurg Rötlisberger won bronze at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games, then gold at the Moscow 1980 Olympic Games
- In 2008, Sergei Aschwanden took up the Swiss torch and won bronze at the Beijing Olympic Games.
Take the train and support the athletes who will be fighting for medals in Paris in 2024!
The judo events at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games will take place from 27 July to 3 August, with one men’s and one women’s event per day, followed by a mixed event on the final day (3 August). All para judo events at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will take place from 5 to 7 September 2024 at the Champ de Mars Arena.
TGV Lyria is the official partner of the Swiss Olympic and Paralympic Teams and will be transporting the Swiss delegations to the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
