# Judo at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 78 kg

The men's 78 kg competition in judo at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul was held on 28 September at the Jangchung Gymnasium. The gold medal was won by Waldemar Legień of Poland.

## Results
### Pool A

| Round of 64 | Round of 64 | Round of 64 | Round of 32 | Round of 32 | Round of 32 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Quarterfinal | Quarterfinal | Quarterfinal | Semifinal | Semifinal | Semifinal |
| Peter Reiter (AUT) | Peter Reiter (AUT) | R | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Frank Wieneke (FRG) | Frank Wieneke (FRG) | IPO | Frank Wieneke (FRG) | Frank Wieneke (FRG) | YUK | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | Lars Adolfsson (SWE) | Lars Adolfsson (SWE) | R | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Frank Wieneke (FRG) | Frank Wieneke (FRG) | IPO | | | | | | |
| Victorino González (ESP) | Victorino González (ESP) | IPO | | | | Victorino González (ESP) | Victorino González (ESP) | R | | | | | | |
| James Kihara (KEN) | James Kihara (KEN) | E | Victorino González (ESP) | Victorino González (ESP) | WIP | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | Luis Ochoa (COL) | Luis Ochoa (COL) | E | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Frank Wieneke (FRG) | Frank Wieneke (FRG) | KOK | | | |
| Pascal Tayot (FRA) | Pascal Tayot (FRA) | WIP | | | | | | | Pascal Tayot (FRA) | Pascal Tayot (FRA) | R | | | |
| Fadi Saikali (LIB) | Fadi Saikali (LIB) | E | Pascal Tayot (FRA) | Pascal Tayot (FRA) | IPO | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | Ricardo José Boy (ANG) | Ricardo José Boy (ANG) | E | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Pascal Tayot (FRA) | Pascal Tayot (FRA) | IPO | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Hirotaka Okada (JPN) | Hirotaka Okada (JPN) | E | | | | | | |
| | | | Filip Leščak (YUG) | Filip Leščak (YUG) | E | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | Hirotaka Okada (JPN) | Hirotaka Okada (JPN) | YUK | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | Frank Wieneke (FRG) | Frank Wieneke (FRG) | KOK |
| Torsten Bréchôt (GDR) | Torsten Bréchôt (GDR) | IPO | | | | | | | | | | Torsten Bréchôt (GDR) | Torsten Bréchôt (GDR) | R |
| Ezequiel Paraguassu (BRA) | Ezequiel Paraguassu (BRA) | E | Torsten Bréchôt (GDR) | Torsten Bréchôt (GDR) | IPO | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | John Baylon (PHI) | John Baylon (PHI) | E | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Torsten Bréchôt (GDR) | Torsten Bréchôt (GDR) | KOK | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Neil Adams (GBR) | Neil Adams (GBR) | E | | | | | | |
| | | | Pedro Cristóvão (POR) | Pedro Cristóvão (POR) | E | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | Neil Adams (GBR) | Neil Adams (GBR) | IPO | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Torsten Bréchôt (GDR) | Torsten Bréchôt (GDR) | WIP | | | |
| Rodnomyn Erkhembayar (MGL) | Rodnomyn Erkhembayar (MGL) | IPO | | | | | | | Rodnomyn Erkhembayar (MGL) | Rodnomyn Erkhembayar (MGL) | E | | | |
| Simione Kuruvoli (FIJ) | Simione Kuruvoli (FIJ) | E | Rodnomyn Erkhembayar (MGL) | Rodnomyn Erkhembayar (MGL) | WAZ | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | Carlos Huttich (MEX) | Carlos Huttich (MEX) | E | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Rodnomyn Erkhembayar (MGL) | Rodnomyn Erkhembayar (MGL) | SHI | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Hisham Al-Sharaf Rashad (KUW) | Hisham Al-Sharaf Rashad (KUW) | E | | | | | | |
| | | | Mariano Aquino (GUM) | Mariano Aquino (GUM) | E | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | Hisham Al-Sharaf Rashad (KUW) | Hisham Al-Sharaf Rashad (KUW) | IPO | | | | | | | | | |

### Pool B

| Round of 64 | Round of 64 | Round of 64 | Round of 32 | Round of 32 | Round of 32 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Quarterfinal | Quarterfinal | Quarterfinal | Semifinal | Semifinal | Semifinal |
| Olivier Schaffter (SUI) | Olivier Schaffter (SUI) | E | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Jason Morris (USA) | Jason Morris (USA) | KEI | Jason Morris (USA) | Jason Morris (USA) | E | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | Bashir Varaev (URS) | Bashir Varaev (URS) | YUS | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Bashir Varaev (URS) | Bashir Varaev (URS) | SOG | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Temel Çakiroglu (TUR) | Temel Çakiroglu (TUR) | E | | | | | | |
| | | | Temel Çakiroglu (TUR) | Temel Çakiroglu (TUR) | YUS | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | Luis Val (AUS) | Luis Val (AUS) | E | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Bashir Varaev (URS) | Bashir Varaev (URS) | IPO | | | |
| Jukka-Pekka Metsola (FIN) | Jukka-Pekka Metsola (FIN) | CHU | | | | | | | Jukka-Pekka Metsola (FIN) | Jukka-Pekka Metsola (FIN) | R | | | |
| Mamudu Adamu (NGR) | Mamudu Adamu (NGR) | E | Jukka-Pekka Metsola (FIN) | Jukka-Pekka Metsola (FIN) | IPO | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | Kilmar Campos (VEN) | Kilmar Campos (VEN) | E | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Jukka-Pekka Metsola (FIN) | Jukka-Pekka Metsola (FIN) | IPO | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Patrick Matangi (ZIM) | Patrick Matangi (ZIM) | E | | | | | | |
| | | | Patrick Matangi (ZIM) | Patrick Matangi (ZIM) | IPO | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | Tsay Yow-tayn (TPE) | Tsay Yow-tayn (TPE) | E | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | Bashir Varaev (URS) | Bashir Varaev (URS) | R |
| Károly Németh (HUN) | Károly Németh (HUN) | E | | | | | | | | | | Waldemar Legień (POL) | Waldemar Legień (POL) | YUS |
| Walid Mohamed Hussain (EGY) | Walid Mohamed Hussain (EGY) | KOK | Walid Mohamed Hussain (EGY) | Walid Mohamed Hussain (EGY) | R | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | Waldemar Legień (POL) | Waldemar Legień (POL) | WIP | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Waldemar Legień (POL) | Waldemar Legień (POL) | IPO | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Gastón García (ARG) | Gastón García (ARG) | R | | | | | | |
| | | | Aly Attyé (SEN) | Aly Attyé (SEN) | E | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | Gastón García (ARG) | Gastón García (ARG) | IPO | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Waldemar Legień (POL) | Waldemar Legień (POL) | WAZ | | | |
| An Byeong-geun (KOR) | An Byeong-geun (KOR) | IPO | | | | | | | Kevin Doherty (CAN) | Kevin Doherty (CAN) | R | | | |
| Johan Laats (BEL) | Johan Laats (BEL) | E | An Byeong-geun (KOR) | An Byeong-geun (KOR) | E | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | Kevin Doherty (CAN) | Kevin Doherty (CAN) | KEI | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Kevin Doherty (CAN) | Kevin Doherty (CAN) | IPO | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Lam Lap Hing (HKG) | Lam Lap Hing (HKG) | E | | | | | | |
| | | | Lam Lap Hing (HKG) | Lam Lap Hing (HKG) | IPO | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | Magnus Büchel (LIE) | Magnus Büchel (LIE) | E | | | | | | | | | |

### Repechages

| Repechage | Repechage | Repechage | Repechage quarterfinal | Repechage quarterfinal | Repechage quarterfinal | Repechage semifinal | Repechage semifinal | Repechage semifinal | Repechage final | Repechage final | Repechage final |
| Peter Reiter (AUT) | Peter Reiter (AUT) | E | | | | | | | | | |
| Lars Adolfsson (SWE) | Lars Adolfsson (SWE) | WAZ | Lars Adolfsson (SWE) | Lars Adolfsson (SWE) | E | | | | | | |
| | | | Victorino González (ESP) | Victorino González (ESP) | IPO | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Victorino González (ESP) | Victorino González (ESP) | E | | | |
| | | | | | | Pascal Tayot (FRA) | Pascal Tayot (FRA) | WAZ | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Pascal Tayot (FRA) | Pascal Tayot (FRA) | E |
| | | | | | | | | | Torsten Bréchôt (GDR) | Torsten Bréchôt (GDR) | WAZ |
| Repechage quarterfinal | Repechage quarterfinal | Repechage quarterfinal | Repechage semifinal | Repechage semifinal | Repechage semifinal | Repechage final | Repechage final | Repechage final |
| Walid Mohamed Hussain (EGY) | Walid Mohamed Hussain (EGY) | E | | | | | | |
| Gastón García (ARG) | Gastón García (ARG) | WIP | | | | | | |
| | | | Gastón García (ARG) | Gastón García (ARG) | E | | | |
| | | | Kevin Doherty (CAN) | Kevin Doherty (CAN) | CHU | | | |
| | | | | | | Kevin Doherty (CAN) | Kevin Doherty (CAN) | E |
| | | | | | | Bashir Varaev (URS) | Bashir Varaev (URS) | IPO |

### Final

| Final | Final |
| Frank Wieneke (FRG) | |
| Waldemar Legień (POL) | IPO |

## Final classification

| Rank | Name | Country |
| 1 | Waldemar Legień | Poland |
| 2 | Frank Wieneke | West Germany |
| 3T | Torsten Bréchôt | East Germany |
| 3T | Bashir Varaev | Soviet Union |
| 5T | Kevin Doherty | Canada |
| 5T | Pascal Tayot | France |
| 7T | Gastón García | Argentina |
| 7T | Victorino González | Spain |
| 9T | Walid Mohamed Hussain | Egypt |
| 9T | Lars Adolfsson | Sweden |
| 11 | Peter Reiter | Austria |
| 12T | Rodnomyn Erkhembayar | Mongolia |
| 12T | Jukka-Pekka Metsola | Finland |
| 14T | Hirotaka Okada | Japan |
| 14T | Neil Adams | Great Britain |
| 14T | Hisham Al-Sharaf Rashad | Kuwait |
| 14T | Temel Çakiroglu | Turkey |
| 14T | Patrick Matangi | Zimbabwe |
| 14T | Lam Lap Hing | Hong Kong |
| 20T | Luis Ochoa | Colombia |
| 20T | Ricardo José Boy | Angola |
| 20T | Filip Leščak | Yugoslavia |
| 20T | John Baylon | Philippines |
| 20T | Pedro Cristóvão | Portugal |
| 20T | Carlos Huttich | Mexico |
| 20T | Mariano Aquino | Guam |
| 20T | Jason Morris | United States |
| 20T | Luis Val | Australia |
| 20T | Kilmar Campos | Venezuela |
| 20T | Tsay Yow-tayn | Chinese Taipei |
| 20T | Magnus Büchel | Liechtenstein |
| 20T | Aly Attyé | Senegal |
| 20T | An Byeong-geun | South Korea |
| 34T | Olivier Schaffter | Switzerland |
| 34T | James Kihara | Kenya |
| 34T | Mamudu Adamu | Nigeria |
| 34T | Fadi Saikali | Lebanon |
| 34T | Károly Németh | Hungary |
| 34T | Ezequiel Paraguassu | Brazil |
| 34T | Johan Laats | Belgium |
| 34T | Simione Kuruvoli | Fiji |