Since the start of the Paris Olympic Games, the judokas have been shining on the tatami of theArena Champ-de-Mars. At the time of writing, there are still no gold medals in judo, but four bronze medals for Shirine Boukli (-48kg), Amandine Buchard (-52kg), Sarah-Léonie Cysique (-57kg) and Clarisse Agbégnénou (-63kg). In silver, Luka Mkheidze (-60kg) and Joan-Benjamin Gaba (-73kg) have so far won two medals. Other eagerly-awaited bouts include those of Romane Dicko and Teddy Riner.
If you're passionate about the sport and follow judo from behind your screen, then perhaps you've noticed the outfits worn by the athletes. If you look closely, only two colors of judogi, also known as kimono, exist: blue and white. So, why is judogi either white or blue? We answer.
Originally, only white judogi was allowed. This rule was instituted by the Japanese athlete Jigoro Kano, considered the founder of judo. White has many meanings in Japan. It is often synonymous with purity.
To distinguish themselves in combat, judokas had to wear an additional belt over their black belt. It was either red or white. But it wasn't always easy to tell the difference between the two opponents.
So several Western countries, including France, decided to change the rules, bringing the blue judogi onto the tatami. The aim? To promote the sport internationally. It was first introduced in 1997 at the Paris Tournament. In 1998, judokas were required to wear either a blue or white kimono to take part in international competitions, such as the Olympic Games.
But who wears what color? As is the rule, the white judogi is reserved for the highest-ranked judokas in the discipline. Blue is worn by lower-ranked athletes. What's more, the same judoka can wear both colors on the same competition day. It all depends on the opponent's ranking.
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