Two Azerbaijani judokas have taken the top spots in the Olympic qualification rankings.
As reported by İdman.Biz, the International Judo Federation (IJF) has released its first Olympic qualification rankings, which will determine the athletes eligible to compete at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
The IJF Olympic qualification rankings are based on results achieved between June 15, 2026, and June 12, 2028. This two-year qualification period is divided into two stages.
During the first stage, from June 15, 2026, to June 14, 2027, each judoka's six best results are counted at 50% of their original value. In the second stage, from June 15, 2027, to June 12, 2028, the six best results are counted at 100%.
For example, winning a world championship earns 2,000 ranking points. However, if the title is won during the first qualification year, only 1,000 points count toward Olympic qualification. The same achievement in the second year brings the full 2,000 points. Consequently, results obtained during the final stage carry twice as much weight.
The main difference between the Olympic qualification rankings and the regular IJF world rankings lies in how results are calculated over time.
In the world rankings, points retain their full value for 12 months after a competition, are reduced by half during the following 12 months, and expire completely after 24 months.
The Olympic rankings, however, operate within fixed qualification dates, meaning results achieved before June 15, 2026, are not considered. Therefore, a high position in the world rankings does not necessarily translate into an equally strong position in Olympic qualification.
At the end of the qualification period, the top 17 eligible judokas in each of the 14 weight categories will receive direct Olympic qualification places, making a total of 238 athletes.
However, an important restriction applies: each country may enter only one athlete per weight category. If several judokas from the same nation qualify, the national federation and Olympic committee must decide who will represent the country.
The remaining places are then allocated to the next eligible athletes from other nations. As a result, judokas ranked outside the top 17 may still qualify directly, depending on the distribution of athletes by country.
An additional 104 continental qualification places are available, including 26 for Europe, divided equally between men and women.
These places are awarded to athletes who have not qualified directly, based on their Olympic ranking points across all weight categories within their continent.
Each country may receive no more than one additional continental qualification place, regardless of the athlete's gender or weight category.
This explains why Azerbaijani judoka Zelym Kotsoiev (100 kg) currently has a "continental quota" designation next to his name in the Olympic rankings.
Under the current provisional allocation, he is in contention for an Olympic place through Europe's additional continental quota rather than direct qualification through his weight category.
All current qualification positions remain provisional, with the final allocation of Olympic places scheduled after the qualification period concludes in June 2028.
Turning to the rankings themselves, two Azerbaijani judokas occupy first place in their respective weight divisions.
Ahmad Yusifov leads the men's 60 kg category with 1,360 points, while Rashid Mammadaliyev tops the 73 kg division with 1,176 points.
Interestingly, while Yusifov leads both the Olympic and world rankings following his victory at the World Championships in Baku, Mammadaliyev is only fourth in the regular world rankings.
His rise to first place in the Olympic qualification standings is explained by the exclusion of results achieved before June 15, 2026.
Another Azerbaijani judoka, Balabay Aghayev, is also in the Olympic qualification zone in the 60 kg category. He ranks sixth with 716 points, despite occupying second place in the world rankings.
In the 66 kg division, Nizami Imranov is Azerbaijan's highest-ranked athlete in the Olympic standings, sitting 13th with 430 points.
Ruslan Pashayev, meanwhile, occupies 17th place with 336 points.
The contrast with the regular world rankings is particularly striking. Pashayev is ranked sixth in the world, while Imranov is only 27th.
In the 73 kg category, Rashid Mammadaliyev is currently the only Azerbaijani judoka among the top 17.
Olympic champion Hidayat Heydarov does not appear in the Olympic qualification rankings for this weight division.
Instead, Heydarov is listed in the 81 kg category, where he occupies a modest 39th position with just 180 points.
Azerbaijan's leading representatives in this division are Zelym Tckaev, who ranks second with 1,055 points, and Omar Rajabli, who sits sixth with 750 points.
This situation presents a significant challenge for Heydarov, who will need to substantially improve his position during the remaining qualification period to strengthen his chances of competing at the Los Angeles Olympics.
Meanwhile, Murad Fatiyev, a bronze medalist at the Baku World Championships, occupies fourth place in the 90 kg category with 925 points.
Paris 2024 Olympic champion Zelym Kotsoiev is currently 26th in the 100 kg division with 250 points, placing him outside the direct Olympic qualification zone.
However, as noted earlier, he remains provisionally eligible for a continental qualification place under the current allocation.
The men's over-100 kg category presents another intriguing situation, with three Azerbaijani judokas currently ranked among the top 17.
Surprisingly, Ushangi Kokauri, who claimed silver at the World Championships in Baku, is not Azerbaijan's highest-ranked athlete in the Olympic standings.
Kokauri sits seventh with 708 points, despite occupying second place in the regular world rankings.
The highest-ranked Azerbaijani in the Olympic qualification standings is Baku World Championships bronze medalist Kanan Nasibov, who holds fifth place with 765 points.
He is followed closely by Jamal Gamzatkhanov, who ranks sixth with 741 points.
With only one Olympic representative permitted per country in each weight category, the competition among Azerbaijan's three heavyweights promises to be particularly intense.
In the women's competition, Konul Aliyeva occupies 18th place in the 48 kg category with 293 points.
Despite being outside the top 17, she currently remains within the provisional Olympic qualification zone because several higher-ranked athletes represent the same countries.
In the 52 kg division, Gultaj Mammadaliyeva holds ninth place with 471 points, putting her in a relatively strong position at this early stage of qualification.
However, Azerbaijani female judokas in the remaining weight categories are currently well outside the Olympic qualification zone.
With almost two years of qualification competition still ahead, the rankings are expected to undergo significant changes.
For Azerbaijan, the early standings highlight both encouraging opportunities and major challenges, particularly in weight categories where several athletes are competing for a single Olympic berth.
