Storm brewing in judo just days out from the start of Olympic competition as International Judo Federaton chief SLAMS venue for ‘poorly installed mats’ and ‘dirt marks’

The president of the International Judo Federation has been left furious with the supposed state of the venus ahead of the Paris Olympics.

The Games are already well underway, with both football and rugby action already taking place on Wednesday, two days before the official opening ceremony.

Judo, meanwhile, is set to kick off on Saturday at the Champ-de-Mars Arena, though concerns have been raised over the venue just days out from it being used for competition.

Marius Vizer is a former judoka and judo coach, and has been the president of the International Jude Federation since 2007. Now, he has slammed organisers as his sport gets ready to hit the world stage.

Via Le Parisien, the 65-year-old has claimed that the site is not up to standard to host the event, highlighting that the mats are not sufficient for competition and claiming that they do not meet standards set by the International Federation.

The arena will play host to judo competition from Saturday, but is not yet ready to do so

Vizer criticised the mats and weighing aparatus, also claiming that the hall is dirty

As of Wednesday, the report claims that the platform and weighing apparatus were not yet ready just three days out from the start of the tournament.

The hall is also said to be dirty and in need of a clean, with the location of the venue also coming under criticism.

Organisers, however, have claimed that the Arena ‘will be ready on time for the competition,’ despite admitting that ‘there are still some points [needing] attention, such as the assembly of certain equipment and the cleaming of the site.’

They added: ‘Our teams are fully mobilised to ensure these finishing touches.’

Judo competiton was originally set to take place at the Arena Bercy, but it has been taken by gymnastics, trampolining and basketball.

Judo is an event that France have been largely successful in in the past, winning 57 medals in the sport in Olympic history.

Only Japan have won more with 96, with Clarisse Agbegnenou, Teddy Riner and Romane Dicko backed to succeed for the hosts.

Organisers have insisted that it will be ready for competition, acknowledging that work still needs to be done

Jude is one of France’s biggest hopes for medal as the second most-successful country of all time in the event at the Olympics

Double Olympic medallist and world champion Romane Dicko, meanwhile, has spoken out on hate she has received online

Dicko, in the build-up to the competition, has called for more protection for athletes after she was targeted with abuse online.

The over 78kg world champion and double Olympic medalist has this week taken to social media to criticise some of the messages she has received online in the build-up to the event.

‘Who, in 2024, still believes that people who do sports are necessarily thin?’ she said on TikTok. ‘That those who do high level are necessarily thin and dry?’

‘I do [compete at a] high level and I have love handles. Yes, it exists. And that didn’t stop me from doing judo at a very high level. Nor from winning the World Championships, it didn’t stop me from being an Olympic medalist in Tokyo.’