Home pressure and podium dreams: Linz prepares for a packed Grand Prix

Linz is about to become the center of the judo world as the IJF Judo World Tour returns to the Tips Arena for the fourth time. From 6–8 March, the Upper Austria Judo Grand Prix 2026 will bring 502 judoka from 62 countries to the tatami. Austria leads the entry list with 42 competitors, followed by Italy with 23, while Germany, Japan and Kazakhstan each send 20 athletes.

Austria arrives with the biggest team and big expectations on home soil.

European interest is huge: the host nation sees this Grand Prix as a key stop on the World Tour, with home support guaranteed in the stands. IJF President Marius Vizer is expected in Linz, and Olympic silver medallist Ludwig "Lupo" Paischer will also be present, underlining the event’s status. For Austrian fans, all eyes are on -70kg contender Michaela Polleres and -81kg fighter Bernd Fasching, seeded five and seven respectively.

Not all local stars can compete, though. World number 12 Lubjana Piovesana (-63kg), Austria’s highest-ranked judoka, is sidelined by an ankle injury, while -78kg fighter Elena Dengg is recovering from meniscus surgery on her right knee. Their absence slightly weakens the home line-up but opens the door for other names to step into the spotlight.

A emotional storyline surrounds local hero Samuel Gaßner (-73kg). After suffering a concussion at the Paris Grand Slam, he now reports that the pain has gone and his first randori sessions have gone well. Last year he finished fifth in Linz and missed a medal by a small margin; this time, he wants to turn home support into a place on the podium.

Head coach Yvonne Snir-Bönisch still targets two medals, with Polleres and Fasching as the main hopes. The tournament itself faces an important crossroads, as the current contract with the world federation ends this year and any extension depends on secure funding. What is already clear: Upper Austria’s Grand Prix has built a strong reputation, even hosting bigger fields than legendary events in Tokyo and Paris, and has won fans among European stars such as double Olympic champion Lukas Krpalek and former world champion Anna-Maria Wagner.

Source: EJU_News