Judo weigh-in in Paris

The International Judo Federation (IJF) is investigating Algerian judoka Messaoud Redouane Dris, who failed to make weight for his bout against Israel's Tohar Butbul at the Paris Olympics, arriving 10 minutes late and exceeding the limit by 400 grams. Israeli Olympic Committee head Yael Arad condemned the incident as a 'disgrace' and called for sanctions against Algeria, while Algerian media celebrated Dris for 'smartly avoiding' the match amidst rising political tensions. The IJF emphasized that athletes often become victims of political disputes, contradicting the values of sport. This incident occurs against a backdrop of heightened geopolitical tensions related to Israel's conflict with Hamas. Notably, this is not the first instance of an Algerian athlete avoiding competition with an Israeli opponent; a similar situation occurred in 2021, resulting in a 10-year ban for another Algerian judoka. The IJF has stated that a full review will follow the Olympic Games to determine necessary actions.