Eligibility for athlete stipends across all Olympic weight categories will be determined using the IJF World Ranking List (WRL).Rankings will be adjusted by removing duplicate entries from the same country in alignment with Olympic qualification rules in which each nation may only enter one athlete per weight division.

For example, if a U.S. athlete is ranked 11th on the WRL and Japan has two athletes ranked in the top 10, the second Japanese athlete will be excluded, effectively moving the U.S. athlete to 10th place.

The one exception to this is if two U.S. athletes appear within the ranking evaluation range, they will both be counted and not considered duplicates.

Stipend eligibility will be reviewed quarterly based on the WRL as of the following dates:

• January 1 (for January–March)
• April 1 (for April–June)
• July 1 (for July–September)
• October 1 (for October–December)

Additional Performance Requirement

To be eligible for stipends, athletes must have achieved one of the following results within the 12 months preceding each stipend review date:

• 7th place finish or higher at an IJF World Championships, Masters, Grand Slam, or Grand Prix, or
• 5th place finish or higher at the IJF Junior World Championships

Athletes who qualify will remain eligible until the next scheduled evaluation.

IJF WRL Based Monthly Stipend Amounts

(Adjusted for duplicate countries)

• Rank 1–9: $1,500 per month
• Rank 10–14: $1,050 per month
• Rank 15–18: $500 per month

USA Judo has been allocated 4 EAHI slots for 2026. These slots will be allocated to specific athletes per the eligibility criteria and cannot be passed down to another athlete if he/she declines coverage.

To be eligible for EAHI, an athlete must:

1. Meet the USOPC’s Team USA eligibility requirements at the time the slot is being offered. https://www.usopc.org/TeamUSA-Eligibility

2. Be ranked on the Senior IJF World Ranking List at the time the slot is being offered.

Eligibility for EAHI will be evaluated on January 1, 2026 using the following ranking criteria:

EAHI slots will be offered to the top 4 ranked athletes (based on point total), regardless of weight division, on the Senior IJF World Ranking Lists. If there is a tie, meaning two athletes accumulate the same number of points, priority will be given to the athlete ranked highest within their respective weight division. For purposes of EAHI, duplicates of foreign countries will NOT be removed. If there is still a tie, priority will be given to the athlete who finished higher at the 2025 IJF Senior World Championships.

Should the 2028 Olympic qualification system for Judo be announced and the USA receive more than 4 automatic quotas as the host country, USA Judo may be allocated additional EAHI slots at that time by the USOPC. In that case, USA Judo will use the next applicable quarterly review period (January 1, April 1, July 1 or October 1) and review the Senior IJF World Ranking Lists and offer any additionally allocated EAHI slots per the ranking criteria above. Athletes offered EAHI on January 1 will be excluded from this additional ranking as they have already been offered EAHI for the duration of the year.

Athletes offered EAHI remain eligible through December 31, 2026.

Athletes who are unable to qualify for EAHI due to unforeseen circumstances may have the opportunity to apply for slots through the USOPC’s hardship process.