The Ulaanbaatar Grand Prix, an International Judo Federation (IJF) event, begins tomorrow, marking the start of the qualification cycle for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. This year’s competition has attracted a record number of participants, with 454 judokas from 58 countries set to compete. The draw for the tournament took place today at the Novotel hotel. The men’s 81kg category has the highest number of competitors with 42, while the women’s 70kg category will see 33 judokas compete. Mongolia will field a full team, with four athletes in each weight class, totaling 56 competitors. Strong delegations from Russia (24 athletes), South Korea (23), Italy (21), Kazakhstan (20), and France (18) are also participating. The Ulaanbaatar Grand Prix has grown in prominence, increasing from 30 participating countries in 2022 to 44 in 2023 and 28 last year.