Lausanne’s Shared Stage Marks a New Moment for Adapted Judo

The Ecole Mont-Olivet Lausanne Adapted Judo Grand Slam 2026 brought adapted judo onto the same tatami as the World Judo Tour in Switzerland. Held alongside the Ecole Mont-Olivet Lausanne Grand Slam 2026, it gave athletes a place in an international setting that looked and felt like the sport’s biggest occasions.

Lausanne was already making history as the host of Switzerland’s first grand slam. On the opening day, however, the event also highlighted a wider step for inclusion: adapted judo athletes competed in the same arena, sharing the atmosphere, pressure and pride of the occasion.

Kerry Tansey, an IJF Inclusion Commission member, explained that adapted judo is designed for athletes with every type of disability. The competition in Lausanne focused on levels one and two of a five-level system, including judoka with intellectual disabilities, autism, limb impairments or cerebral palsy.

At level one, athletes generally train fully integrated in mainstream judo clubs. At level two, athletes may need more time to process information and react to situations. The system is built around divisioning, which places judoka with opponents whose profiles and needs are appropriate, helping competition remain safe, confident and meaningful.

The goal is not lower ambition, but the right conditions for every judoka to compete.

The framework follows years of work involving the European Judo Union and national federations. Inclusion programmes had already been developing in different countries, but approaches, terminology and rules could vary. According to Tansey, stronger collaboration has helped harmonise that work and improve athlete safety.

For levels one and two, the rules remain broadly close to regular judo. There are no dropping movements, sutemi-waza or armlocks, because some athletes may have reduced sensation and face a greater injury risk. Further adaptations can be introduced across the higher levels depending on an athlete’s disability.

On the tatami, though, the core of the sport remains familiar. The athletes want to perform, create beautiful judo and wear their judogi with pride for themselves, their clubs and their countries. The adapted format is not about changing what judo means; it is about ensuring more people can experience it in suitable conditions.

Tansey also stressed the importance of recognising disabilities that are not immediately visible. The international structure now offers pathways for athletes who may previously have struggled to find the right place in the sport.

In Lausanne, inclusion was visible not as a side event, but as part of the same judo occasion.

The week also carried a strong sense of community. Tansey described the group as a family, with athletes spending time together away from competition as well as gaining confidence and recognition through the event. Working alongside Marina Draskovic, who supports key behind-the-scenes operations, Tansey sees Lausanne as a platform for more education, cooperation and opportunities in adapted judo.

For the athletes stepping onto that tatami, the message was direct: this was judo, shared on the same stage.

Source: IJF.org

Image source: IJF / International Judo Federation