# The 13 Greatest Olympic Judokas of All Time

> Three of these won Olympic gold in the same weight class more than once; one of them is better known for what she did after judo.

*By YPB Team · Published August 5, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/the-13-greatest-olympic-judokas-of-all-time*

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## Current results (0 votes)

1. **Tadahiro Nomura**
   The only judoka to win three consecutive Olympic golds in the same weight class, at 60kg in 1996, 2000 and 2004.
2. **Teddy Riner**
   French heavyweight with two Olympic golds and eleven world titles, unbeaten for 150 straight bouts.
3. **Yasuhiro Yamashita**
   Won 1984 Olympic gold on a torn calf muscle and retired with 203 consecutive victories.
4. **Anton Geesink**
   The Dutchman who beat Akio Kaminaga in 1964 to end Japan's grip on Olympic judo.
5. **Kosei Inoue**
   2000 Olympic champion whose uchi-mata is still the textbook version of the throw.
6. **Ilias Iliadis**
   Greek judoka who took Olympic gold at seventeen in Athens in 2004.
7. **Kayla Harrison**
   First American to win Olympic judo gold, and she did it twice, in 2012 and 2016.
8. **Shohei Ono**
   Two-time Olympic champion at 73kg, widely called the most technically complete judoka of his era.
9. **Driulis Gonzalez**
   Cuban who medalled at four straight Olympics, taking gold at 56kg in 1996.
10. **Ronda Rousey**
   Took bronze at 70kg in Beijing 2008, the first Olympic judo medal ever won by an American woman.
11. **Clarisse Agbegnenou**
   French 63kg champion with six world titles and Olympic gold in Tokyo.
12. **Lukas Krpalek**
   Czech judoka who won Olympic gold in two different weight classes, at 100kg and heavyweight.
13. **Majlinda Kelmendi**
   Won Kosovo's first Olympic medal of any colour with 52kg gold in Rio.

Tags: sports, olympics, legends, judo