Idman.biz
The Olympic qualification stage in judo is just a month away. The qualification will begin on June 19 with the Grand Slam tournament in Ulan Bator, setting the tone for the qualifying stage leading to the Los Angeles Olympics. Therefore, it is the most appropriate time to review how points are calculated in ranking tournaments throughout the cycle.
Idman.Biz reports that the middle of the year will be of great importance, especially for judokas, and particularly for the Azerbaijani national team preparing for the World Championships in Baku in October. By that time, the fight for tickets to the Summer Olympic Games will intensify further, as every major competition will become crucial. Therefore, before starting the calculation of valuable points, it is important to note how the world ranking works and how athletes can build an effective competition strategy.
The ranking table is formed based on the results of Grand Slam, Grand Prix, Masters tournaments, world and continental championships, as well as open continental competitions. Each result of an athlete affects the overall ranking. However, points are not considered indefinite. Their value decreases over time. If points remain at 100 percent strength for the first 12 months, their importance drops to 50 percent after one year. After another two years, the points earned during that period are completely removed. The calculation is based on the week number. For example, if the competition was held in the 17th week of the year, these points are halved in the 18th week of the following year and completely removed from the ranking a year later.
If two or more judokas have the same ranking points, a special priority system is applied. Preference is given to the athlete who has accumulated the most points in world championships. The results of Grand Prix, Grand Slam, and Masters tournaments are then taken into account. If the tie still remains, the best results in individual tournaments are compared - starting from the highest indicator to the next indicators. In cases related to Olympic qualification, if the tie continues, the final decision is made by the Executive Committee of the International Judo Federation (IJF).
It is clear that as the Grand Slam tournament in Ulan Bator approaches, each stage of the World Tour will become more important. The tension will peak at the World Championships in Baku, as not only titles but also extremely important ranking points will be at stake.
By the way, it is interesting that among the judokas of the Azerbaijani national team, Ushangi Kokauri (+100 kg) and Zelim Tckaev (81 kg) are currently in the highest positions in the ranking - in second place. Olympic champions Zelim Kotsoev (100 kg) and Hidayat Heydarov (73 kg) are currently in third and fifth places, respectively.
In the medal standings of the World Tour, Azerbaijan ranks fourth with six gold, five silver, and nine bronze medals won since the beginning of the year.
