15th Panamerican Sport Games 

Judo Qualification System
Tentative Text to be Included in the Judo Technical Manual

1 – Participation

Only NOCs recognized by PASO whose National Judo Federation is affiliated to IJF-International Judo Federation and to PJU-Panamerican Judo Union may enter competitors in the Judo competitions of the XV Pan American Games.

In addition, the athletes must be:

• At least the grade of Shodan;

• A current member of a National Federation affiliated to IJF and PJU.  This means that all fees and assessments due to the National Federation and to PJU must have been paid and current.

• Must have participated in at least two senior events in the past two years.

2 – Maximum number of competitors

As determined by PASO, the athletes’ quota for the Judo competition is 140 (one hundred and forty).

Each NOC will be allowed to enter a maximum of 01 (one) athlete per weight category, provided that he/she has qualified according to the PJU qualification system.

3 – Qualification System

3.1        The qualification applies to a National Olympic Committee and not to an athlete;

3.2        As host country, Brazil is automatically qualified with 1 (one) athlete in each of the 14 (fourteen) Judo weight categories of the XV Pan American Games.

3.3        Unless there are last minute cancellations, which can not be filled by the Executive Committee of the PJU, each weight category will have a minimum of 8 (eight) entered athletes, as described below:

1 (one) athlete from Brazil
7 (seven) athletes selected through the qualification system

3.4        The distribution of 140 (one hundred and forty) athletes quota will be done as follows:

The 106 spots (53M and 53W) will be distributed as follows:

3.4.1        The 98 spots distribution (7 per category) will be defined during the PJU Panamerican Championships listed below:

a)      2006 Panamerican Senior Championships to be held from May 24-29, 2006, in Buenos Aires, Argentina;

b)      2007 Panamerican Senior Championships to be held from May 24-27, 2007, in Montreal, Canada.

In these Championships, the following point system will be used:

Each competitor, for his/her participation in these Panamerican Senior Judo Championships, no matter his/her final placing, will receive 2 (two) points;

The medalists and the positions listed below will receive the following additional points:

                       Gold Medal -               +10 points
                       Silver Medal -              +7 points
                       Bronze Medals -          + 5 points
                       Fifth Places -               +3 points

3.4.2      The 8 (eight) remaining spots will be assigned, one per category, among the weight categories listed below, which, according to the number of entered athletes in the 2004 Summer Olympic Games, can be said to be the most popular ones:

3.4.3        The 20 (twenty) invitations will be assigned by PJU according to the criteria defined by the PJU Executive Committee during its meeting on April 10^th, 2006, as follows:

a)      A National Olympic Committee which has not qualified an athlete for the XV Pan American Games;

b)      A promising competitor, that from the beginning, has demonstrated technical improvement;

c)      Competitors that are under sanction for a positive anti-doping testing or for an offense against the sport of Judo will not be selected;

d)      Athletes of a medium technical level;

e)      In case of injury or other hardship conditions beyond the control of a competitor and an outstanding junior or juvenile is involved, the requirement that an athlete must have participated in at least two senior events in the past two years may be waived;

f)        Experience and exposure;

g)      Consideration of the economic conditions of a National Federation and type of training facilities that have been made available;

h)      Lack of financial ability to attend high level competitions such as the Circuit of the Panamerican Judo Union.

i)        Presentation of a program showing continuous training.

The above mentioned items are not listed in order of priority and the PJU Executive Committee may take into consideration one, two or all of them, in making a selection.  The objective of this selection is to promote Judo and maintain the competitive level of Judo in the Pan American Games.

If after the PJU Panamerican Senior Judo Championships to be held in 2006 and 2007, there is still a vacancy or vacancies, it/they will be assigned during a special event to be staged in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, date to be defined by the PJU.  The invitation to participate in this event will be done under the following conditions:

·        Only those National Federations which have not qualified an athlete in the PJU Panamerican Senior Judo Championships to be held in 2006 and 2007 will be allowed to enter 1 (one) athlete per weight category;

·        Only the Olympic categories, men and women, will be contested.

·        No National Federation not affiliated to PJU will be allowed to participate in this event.