Lausanne Sets the Stage for Sarajevo’s Adapted Judo Moment

Adapted Judo took a major step forward at the Ecole Mont-Olivet Adapted Judo Grand Slam Lausanne 2026. For the first time, judoka with cognitive disabilities competed in an IJF grand slam environment alongside athletes from the World Judo Tour.

The International Judo Federation has long worked alongside the visually impaired judo community, promoting a sport in which athletes with disabilities belong on the international stage. Lausanne expanded that approach by bringing level 1 and level 2 judoka with intellectual impairments, autism and physical disabilities into a world-level competition setting.

The action on the tatami showed the standard and commitment of the competitors. Away from the contests, athletes, coaches and delegations brought the same discipline and professionalism that define high-performance judo.

One of the strongest moments came through the event’s shared spaces. Adapted athletes and World Judo Tour competitors used the warm-up area together, while national teams included their adapted judoka as part of the same delegation. A situation that could have created practical challenges instead became a powerful example of how inclusion can work in everyday competition life.

Shared preparation gave inclusion a visible place at the grand slam.

The local organising committee also ensured that adapted judo athletes received the same recognition as their World Judo Tour counterparts. That equality is still uncommon in elite sport, but in Lausanne it was part of the event experience.

The next chapter will take place in Sarajevo on 25 and 26 September. The Special Olympics Judo Open Sarajevo 2026 will be included in the World Judo Championships Veterans and Kata programme, bringing around 130 athletes from approximately 20 countries together.

All five Special Olympics ability levels will be represented. According to the IJF, it will be the first international Special Olympics judo event developed with the federation to unite athletes from every level within a world-level championship framework.

Lausanne demonstrated that athletes with disabilities can compete successfully in this environment when the right preparation, support and structure are available. Sarajevo will build on that experience, placing Special Olympics judoka within another major gathering for the sport.

For the IJF, this is part of an ongoing commitment rather than a one-off project. Its co-operation with Special Olympics International, support for Adapted Judo, and the daily work of coaches, clubs, families and national federations aim to create opportunities that respect every judoka’s potential. The message is clear: inclusion does not mean reducing expectations; it means creating dignified and equitable conditions to compete, develop and belong.

Source: IJF.org

Image source: IJF / International Judo Federation