# Judo at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Men's open category

Men's Open class competition in judo at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany was held at Judo and Wrestling Hall. Wim Ruska was the strong favorite to win a second gold medal, having already won gold in the +93 kg weight class. In a surprise Vitali Kuznetsov threw Ruska defeating him using Te Guruma. Kuznetsov ended up winning the pool allowing Ruska to continue in the repechage. Ruska ended up facing Kuznetsov in the finals where he used a different game plan, using yoko-shiho-gatame to win the match. Ruska retired after the Munich Games being the only judoka to win two gold medals in the same Olympics.

## Results
### Finals

| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final |
| Wim Ruska (NED) | 5:02 |
| Jean-Claude Brondani (FRA) | | | |
| Jean-Claude Brondani (FRA) | | Wim Ruska (NED) | 3:58 |
| | | Vitali Kuznetsov (URS) | |
| Vitali Kuznetsov (URS) | 5:42 | Vitali Kuznetsov (URS) | |
| Angelo Parisi (GBR) | | | |

### Repechages

| Repechage | Repechage | Repechage | Repechage semifinal | Repechage semifinal | Repechage semifinal | Repechage final | Repechage final | Repechage final |
| Douglas Rogers (CAN) | Douglas Rogers (CAN) | 0:00 | | | | | | |
| Luvsansharavyn Rentsendorj (MGL) | Luvsansharavyn Rentsendorj (MGL) | E DNS | Douglas Rogers (CAN) | Douglas Rogers (CAN) | 6:00 | | | |
| | | | Tijini Ben Kassow (MAR) | Tijini Ben Kassow (MAR) | E | | | |
| | | | | | | Angelo Parisi (GBR) | Angelo Parisi (GBR) | 6:00 |
| | | | | | | Douglas Rogers (CAN) | Douglas Rogers (CAN) | E |
| Repechage | Repechage | Repechage | Repechage semifinal | Repechage semifinal | Repechage semifinal | Repechage final | Repechage final | Repechage final |
| Barry Johnson (AUS) | Barry Johnson (AUS) | E | | | | | | |
| Chiaki Ishii (BRA) | Chiaki Ishii (BRA) | 1:09 | Wim Ruska (NED) | Wim Ruska (NED) | 4:45 | | | |
| | | | Chiaki Ishii (BRA) | Chiaki Ishii (BRA) | R | | | |
| | | | | | | Wim Ruska (NED) | Wim Ruska (NED) | 6:00 |
| | | | | | | Klaus Glahn (FRG) | Klaus Glahn (FRG) | E |

### Pool A

| Round of 32 | Round of 32 | Round of 32 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Quarterfinal | Quarterfinal | Quarterfinal | Semifinal | Semifinal | Semifinal |
| Petr Jáekl (TCH) | Petr Jáekl (TCH) | 0:00 | | | | | | | | | |
| Kim Euy-Tae (KOR) | Kim Euy-Tae (KOR) | E DNS | Petr Jáekl (TCH) | Petr Jáekl (TCH) | E | | | | | | |
| Angelo Parisi (GBR) | Angelo Parisi (GBR) | 6:00 | Angelo Parisi (GBR) | Angelo Parisi (GBR) | 6:00 | | | | | | |
| Klaus Hennig (GDR) | Klaus Hennig (GDR) | E | | | | Angelo Parisi (GBR) | Angelo Parisi (GBR) | 6:00 | | | |
| Johnny Watts (USA) | Johnny Watts (USA) | 0:44 | | | | Johnny Watts (USA) | Johnny Watts (USA) | E | | | |
| Abdoulaye Djiba (SEN) | Abdoulaye Djiba (SEN) | E | Johnny Watts (USA) | Johnny Watts (USA) | 3:17 | | | | | | |
| Pavle Bajčetić (YUG) | Pavle Bajčetić (YUG) | 5:31 | Pavle Bajčetić (YUG) | Pavle Bajčetić (YUG) | E | | | | | | |
| Juang Jen-Wuh (ROC) | Juang Jen-Wuh (ROC) | E | | | | | | | Angelo Parisi (GBR) | Angelo Parisi (GBR) | R |
| Jean-Claude Brondani (FRA) | Jean-Claude Brondani (FRA) | 6:00 | | | | | | | Jean-Claude Brondani (FRA) | Jean-Claude Brondani (FRA) | 3:10 |
| Douglas Rogers (CAN) | Douglas Rogers (CAN) | R | Jean-Claude Brondani (FRA) | Jean-Claude Brondani (FRA) | 0:47 | | | | | | |
| Johann Pollak (AUT) | Johann Pollak (AUT) | E | Luvsansharavyn Rentsendorj (MGL) | Luvsansharavyn Rentsendorj (MGL) | R | | | | | | |
| Luvsansharavyn Rentsendorj (MGL) | Luvsansharavyn Rentsendorj (MGL) | 6:00 | | | | Jean-Claude Brondani (FRA) | Jean-Claude Brondani (FRA) | 2:28 | | | |
| Juan Marin (PUR) | Juan Marin (PUR) | E DNS | | | | Tijini Ben Kassow (MAR) | Tijini Ben Kassow (MAR) | R | | | |
| Tijini Ben Kassow (MAR) | Tijini Ben Kassow (MAR) | 0:00 | Tijini Ben Kassow (MAR) | Tijini Ben Kassow (MAR) | 6:00 | | | | | | |
| Matthew Folan (IRL) | Matthew Folan (IRL) | 0:00 | Matthew Folan (IRL) | Matthew Folan (IRL) | E | | | | | | |
| BYE | BYE | | | | | | | | | | |

### Pool B

| Round of 32 | Round of 32 | Round of 32 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Quarterfinal | Quarterfinal | Quarterfinal | Semifinal | Semifinal | Semifinal |
| Ibrahin Cepro (CUB) | Ibrahin Cepro (CUB) | E DNS | | | | | | | | | |
| Fernando García (PHI) | Fernando García (PHI) | 0:00 | Fernando García (PHI) | Fernando García (PHI) | E | | | | | | |
| Wim Ruska (NED) | Wim Ruska (NED) | 2:46 | Wim Ruska (NED) | Wim Ruska (NED) | 2:23 | | | | | | |
| Ulrich Falk (SUI) | Ulrich Falk (SUI) | E | | | | Wim Ruska (NED) | Wim Ruska (NED) | R | | | |
| Barry Johnson (AUS) | Barry Johnson (AUS) | R | | | | Vitali Kuznetsov (URS) | Vitali Kuznetsov (URS) | 6:00 | | | |
| Vitali Kuznetsov (URS) | Vitali Kuznetsov (URS) | 4:46 | Vitali Kuznetsov (URS) | Vitali Kuznetsov (URS) | 2:49 | | | | | | |
| Chiaki Ishii (BRA) | Chiaki Ishii (BRA) | 0:00 | Chiaki Ishii (BRA) | Chiaki Ishii (BRA) | R | | | | | | |
| BYE | BYE | | | | | | | | Vitali Kuznetsov (URS) | Vitali Kuznetsov (URS) | 5:04 |
| Mihály Petrovszky (HUN) | Mihály Petrovszky (HUN) | 6:00 | | | | | | | Klaus Glahn (FRG) | Klaus Glahn (FRG) | R |
| Epigmenio Exiga (MEX) | Epigmenio Exiga (MEX) | E | Mihály Petrovszky (HUN) | Mihály Petrovszky (HUN) | E | | | | | | |
| Klaus Glahn (FRG) | Klaus Glahn (FRG) | 1:53 | Klaus Glahn (FRG) | Klaus Glahn (FRG) | 3:43 | | | | | | |
| Pierre Smets (BEL) | Pierre Smets (BEL) | E | | | | Klaus Glahn (FRG) | Klaus Glahn (FRG) | 6:00 | | | |
| Santiago Ojeda Perez (ESP) | Santiago Ojeda Perez (ESP) | E | | | | Masatoshi Shinomaki (JPN) | Masatoshi Shinomaki (JPN) | E | | | |
| Masatoshi Shinomaki (JPN) | Masatoshi Shinomaki (JPN) | 6:00 | Masatoshi Shinomaki (JPN) | Masatoshi Shinomaki (JPN) | 1:39 | | | | | | |
| Antonio Gallina (ARG) | Antonio Gallina (ARG) | 0:00 | Antonio Gallina (ARG) | Antonio Gallina (ARG) | E | | | | | | |
| BYE | BYE | | | | | | | | | | |