São Paulo Sets the Pace as Para Judo’s Road to LA 2028 Begins

The IBSA Judo Grand Prix São Paulo 2026 delivered another strong day of Para judo, with the Brazil Paralympic Center hosting the second stage of the opening event in the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic qualification period. Across nine categories, the tournament underlined how deep and competitive the international field already looks at the very start of the new cycle.

Before the contests began, athletes, officials and guests came together for the opening ceremony. The message was bigger than medals alone, focusing on inclusion, opportunity and the role of sport in bringing those values to life.

Among those present were IBSA Judo Sport and Events Director Sergiu Oleinic, Brazilian Confederation of Sports for the Blind President Helder Araújo, Secretary General Romário Marques, São Paulo State Secretary for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Marcos da Costa, and São Paulo Judo Federation President Henrique Guimarães. Oleinic praised both the city and the organisers, while Araújo highlighted the significance of this moment as qualification for Los Angeles 2028 officially gets underway.

Then the judo took over, and the level matched the occasion. Some categories were decided in round robin groups and others through knockout draws, but the standard stayed high throughout the day. In total, 142 competitors, 63 women and 79 men, represented 29 nations from all five continents, showing just how far Para judo continues to reach.

Brazil once again made the biggest impact in front of home fans. Arthur Cavalcante da Silva, Brenda Souza de Freitas, Wilians de Araujo and Rebeca Silva each won gold on day two, helping the host nation finish the two-day Grand Prix on top of the medal table with six titles overall.

Behind Brazil came Kazakhstan with three gold medals and Ukraine with two. Other titles were claimed by Uzbekistan, Japan, France, Romania and Kyrgyzstan, while 22 different nations reached the podium across the event. That spread of results may be one of the clearest signs yet that the international circuit is getting stronger and harder to predict.

For European athletes, there were several important results in São Paulo. Ukraine celebrated two gold medals through Anastasiia Harnyk in J1 Women +70 kg and Anzhela Havrysiuk in J1 Women -60 kg. France also stood on top of the podium thanks to Helios Latchoumanaya, who won J2 Men -95 kg.

There were more European podium finishes as well. Daniel Powell of Great Britain took silver in J1 Men -95 kg, Theodora Paschalidou of Greece earned silver in J1 Women -70 kg, and Yerlan Utepov of Kazakhstan finished second in J1 Men +95 kg. Bronze medals also went to Rodrigo Suarez Garrosa of Spain, Daniel English of Great Britain and Kirsten Taylor of Great Britain.

Ukraine and France turned finals appearances into gold in São Paulo.

At the end of two days, São Paulo has already given the new Paralympic cycle a powerful opening chapter. One more event now remains on site, with attention shifting to the IBSA Judo American Championships, where continental honours will be decided before the long road to Los Angeles 2028 continues.

Source: IJF.org

Image source: IJF / International Judo Federation