Two-time Olympic gold medallist Lukas Krpalek was back in the super heavyweight category at the 2024 Judo World Championships, held in Abu Dhabi from 19-23 May, as he made the final decision to compete in the +100kg category at Paris 2024.

Seven of the eight world champions won the first world titles of their careers during the first three days of the 2024 Judo World Championships in Abu Dhabi from 19-23 May. Only Tati Grigalashvili (men's -81 kg) retained his world title.

The world leaders in the men's +81 kg category, Matthias Casse (Belgium) and Tato Grigalashvili (Georgia), were set to meet in the final of the 2024 Judo World Championships in Abu Dhabi from 19-23 May. The two had met in the final of the last three World Championships and the third-place match at Tokyo 2020, with Casse winning the 2021 Olympic bronze medal and Grigalashvili winning the last two World Championships.

Taekwondo athlete Farzad Mansouri was the flag bearer for Afghanistan at Tokyo 2020, but he left the country when the Taliban captured Kabul.

Newly crowned European champion Kimia Alizadeh is targeting Olympic gold at Paris 2024, Reuters reports.

"Like every other athlete, I am targeting the gold medal in Paris which is our main goal. I wake up every day for the gold medal in Paris and I'm trying my best and I give 100% to achieve this goal," Alizadeh said.

Jessica Klimkait and Hidayet Heydarov were both in tears after their semi-final bouts at the 2024 Judo World Championships, held in Abu Dhabi from 19-23 May. However, if Heydarov's were tears of joy, Klimkait's were tears of despair.

South Korea topped the medals table at the Asian Taekwondo Championships held in Da Nang, Vietnam from 16-18 May.

Three new world champions were crowned on the first day of the 2024 Judo world championships held in Abu Dhabi on May 19-23.

The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) President Mohammed Jalood was this week in Azerbaijan, where he had the opportunity to discuss new ways of developing weightlifting in the country with the national authorities. While in Baku, Jalood met with Prime Minister Ali Asadov, the Minister of Youth and Sports Farid Gayibov, and representatives of the Azerbaijan National Olympic Committee and Weightlifting Federation.

The 2024 Para-Taekwondo European Championships were held in Belgrade, Serbia, from 9 to 12 May in parallel with the 2024 European Taekwondo Championships.

Japan's brother-and-sister Olympic judo champions Hifumi and Uta Abe are spurring each other on in their bid to defend their titles at Paris 2024, AFP reports.

The Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour 2023-2024 (ADGS Abu Dhabi) concluded its fifth and final round of the season 2023 – 2024 on Sunday, with Commando Group emerging as the champions in the professional division. Held at the Mubadala Arena, the event featured intense competition from professional black belts worldwide. Following closely behind were M.O.D UAE and Al Wahda Jiu-Jitsu Club, securing second and third places, respectively. 

The last Judo Grand Slam tournament before the 2024 World Championships in Abu Dhabi took place in Astana, Kazakhstan on 10-12 May.

The 2024 European Taekwondo Championships took place from 9-12 May in Belgrade, Serbia.