# Judo at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's 71 kg

These are the results of the men's 71 kg (also known as lightweight) competition in judo at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. A total of 35 men competed in this event, limited to jūdōka whose body weight was less than, or equal to, 71 kilograms. Competition took place in the Georgia World Congress Center.

## Tournament results
### First round

As there were more than 32 qualifiers for the tournament, three first round matches were held to reduce the field to 32 judoka.
* Danny Kingston (GBR) defeated Sergey Kolesnikov (RUS)
* Bertalan Hajtos (HUN) defeated Juan González (GUA)
* Andrei Golban (MDA) defeated Davor Vlaskovac (BIH)

### Main bracket

The gold and silver medalists were determined by the final match of the main single-elimination bracket.
| 1st Round | 1st Round | 2nd Round | 2nd Round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Gold medal final | Gold medal final |
| Andrew Payne (BAR) | L | | | | | | | | |
| Vladimeri Dgebuadze (GEO) | W | Vladimeri Dgebuadze (GEO) | W | | | | | | |
| Loris Mularoni (SMR) | L | Guilherme Bentes (POR) | L | | | | | | |
| Guilherme Bentes (POR) | W | | | Vladimeri Dgebuadze (GEO) | L | | | | |
| James Pedro (USA) | W | | | Khaliun Boldbaatar (MGL) | W | | | | |
| Danny Kingston (GBR) | L | James Pedro (USA) | L | | | | | | |
| Khaliun Boldbaatar (MGL) | W | Khaliun Boldbaatar (MGL) | W | | | | | | |
| Sebastian Alquati (ARG) | L | | | | | Khaliun Boldbaatar (MGL) | L | | |
| Martin Schmidt (GER) | W | | | | | Kenzo Nakamura (JPN) | W | | |
| Krzysztof Wojdan (POL) | L | Martin Schmidt (GER) | W | | | | | | |
| Diego Brambilla (ITA) | L | Bertalan Hajtos (HUN) | L | | | | | | |
| Bertalan Hajtos (HUN) | W | | | Martin Schmidt (GER) | L | | | | |
| Abdelhakim Harkat (ALG) | W | | | Kenzo Nakamura (JPN) | W | | | | |
| Francisco Rodríguez (PUR) | L | Abdelhakim Harkat (ALG) | L | | | | | | |
| Kenzo Nakamura (JPN) | W | Kenzo Nakamura (JPN) | W | | | | | | |
| Thomas Schleicher (AUT) | L | | | | | | | Kenzo Nakamura (JPN) | W |
| Akhat Akhirov (KAZ) | L | | | | | | | Kwak Dae-sung (KOR) | L |
| Andrei Golban (MDA) | W | Andrey Golban (MDA) | L | | | | | | |
| Huang Chien-lung (TPE) | L | Steve Corkin (NZL) | W | | | | | | |
| Steve Corkin (NZL) | W | | | Steve Corkin (NZL) | L | | | | |
| Sebastian Pereira (BRA) | W | | | Sebastian Pereira (BRA) | W | | | | |
| Christophe Gagliano (FRA) | L | Sebastian Pereira (BRA) | W | | | | | | |
| Salim Abanoz (TUR) | W | Salim Abanoz (TUR) | L | | | | | | |
| Jorge Pacce (PAR) | L | | | | | Sebastian Pereira (BRA) | L | | |
| Andrey Shturbabin (UZB) | W | | | | | Kwak Dae-sung (KOR) | W | | |
| Hassen Moussa (TUN) | L | Andrey Shturbabin (UZB) | W | | | | | | |
| Juan Vargas (ESA) | L | Salen al-Sharrah (KUW) | L | | | | | | |
| Saleh Al-Sharrah (KUW) | W | | | Andrey Shturbabin (UZB) | L | | | | |
| Kwak Dae-sung (KOR) | W | | | Kwak Dae-sung (KOR) | W | | | | |
| David Kouassi (CIV) | L | Kwak Dae-sung (KOR) | W | | | | | | |
| Henry Nunez (CRC) | L | Amir Ghomi (IRI) | L | | | | | | |
| Amir Ghomi (IRI) | W | | | | | | | | |

### Repechage

The losing semifinalists as well as those judoka eliminated in earlier rounds by the four semifinalists of the main bracket advanced to the repechage. These matches determined the two bronze medalists for the event.
| First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Bronze medal finals | Bronze medal finals |
| Sebastian Alquati (ARG) | L | Vladimeri Dgebuadze (GEO) | L | | | | |
| James Pedro (USA) | W | James Pedro (USA) | W | James Pedro (USA) | W | James Pedro (USA) | W |
| Abdelhakim Harkat (ALG) | L | Martin Schmidt (GER) | W | Martin Schmidt (GER) | L | Sebastian Pereira (BRA) | L |
| Thomas Schleicher (AUT) | W | Thomas Schleicher (AUT) | L | | | | |
| Christophe Gagliano (FRA) | W | Christophe Gagliano (FRA) | W | | | | |
| Salim Abanoz (TUR) | L | Steve Corkin (NZL) | L | Christophe Gagliano (FRA) | W | Christophe Gagliano (FRA) | W |
| David Kouassi (CIV) | L | Amir Ghomi (IRI) | L | Andrey Shturbabin (UZB) | L | Khaliun Boldbaatar (MGL) | L |
| Amir Ghomi (IRI) | W | Andrey Shturbabin (UZB) | W | | | | |