| | Event type
Half-Middleweight (≤63 kilograms), Women
| Date | 19 September 2000 — 15:00-18:30-20:30-22:00 | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Olympic | |
| Location | Sydney Exhibition Centre, Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Sydney, New South Wales (Hall 1 & 2) | |
| Participants | 22 from 22 countries | |
| Format | Two single-elimination pools, with winner of each pool advanced to the final. All judoka losing to the finalists in each pool advanced to repêchage pools, with the winners of the repêchage pools earning bronze medals. | |
Several women were considered to have a chance for gold. France’s Severine Vandenhende was the 1997 World Champion, while Japan’s Keiko Maeda had won that title in 1999. Belgium’s Gella Vandecaveye had been silver medalist in 1996 and was a three-time European Champion. Maeda went out early, upset by American Celita Schutz. Vandecaveye was upset in the other pool by China’s Li Shufang, who advanced to the final against Vandenhende. The final was a tense, closely fought match, with Vandenhende winning the hantei for the gold medal.
Pool A (19 September 2000)
Round One (19 September 2000)
| Match #1 | Olga Artamonova |  KGZ | Ippon/Okuri-eri-jime (2:15) | Carly Dixon |  AUS |
| Match #2 | Ji Kyong-Sun |  PRK | Ippon/Hansoku-make/Non-Combativity (3:48) | Eleucadia Vargas |  DOM |
| Match #3 | Vânia Ishii |  BRA | Ippon/Kusure-kami-shiho-gatame (2:12) | Daniëlle Vriezema |  NED |
Quarter-Finals (19 September 2000)
| Match #1 | Li Shufang |  CHN | Waza-ari/Ashi-garami (4:00) | Olga Artamonova | KGZ |
| Match #2 | Gella Vandecaveye |  BEL | Ippon/Ushiro-kesa-gatame (2:46) | Ji Kyong-Sun | PRK |
| Match #3 | Vânia Ishii | BRA | Ippon/Kusure-kami-shiho-gatame (3:36) | Sara Álvarez |  ESP |
| Match #4 | Jenny Gal-Vismara |  ITA | Yuko/Non-Combativity (4:00) | Anna Sarayeva |  RUS |
Semi-Finals (19 September 2000)
| Match #1 | Li Shufang | CHN | Hantei/Yusei-gachi (4:00) | Gella Vandecaveye | BEL |
| Match #2 | Jenny Gal-Vismara | ITA | Yuko/Seoi-otoshi (4:00) | Vânia Ishii | BRA |
Final Round (19 September 2000)
| Match #1 | Li Shufang | CHN | Hantei/Yusei-gachi (4:00) | Jenny Gal-Vismara | ITA |
Repêchage (19 September 2000)
| Match #1 | Gella Vandecaveye | BEL | Ippon/Seukui-nage (0:42) | Olga Artamonova | KGZ |
| Match #2 | Vânia Ishii | BRA | Ippon/Kusure-kami-shiho-gatame (4:07) | Anna Sarayeva | RUS |
| Match #3 | Gella Vandecaveye | BEL | Ippon/Yoko-shiho-gatame (2:38) | Vânia Ishii | BRA |
| Match 3/4 | Gella Vandecaveye | BEL | Ippon/Yoko-shiho-gatame (3:07) | Anja von Rekowski |  GER |
Pool B (19 September 2000)
Round One (19 September 2000)
| Match #1 | Kenia Rodríguez |  CUB | Waza-ari awasete Ippon/Kesa-gatame (1:00) | Bilkisu Yusuf |  NGR |
| Match #2 | Celita Schutz |  USA | Ippon/O-uchi-gari (0:30) | Eszter Csizmadia |  HUN |
| Match #3 | Séverine Vandenhende |  FRA | Ippon/Ura-nage (3:02) | Jeong Seong-Suk |  KOR |
Quarter-Finals (19 September 2000)
| Match #1 | Anja von Rekowski | GER | Yuko (2)/Ura-nage (4:00) | Saida Dhahri |  TUN |
| Match #2 | Karen Roberts |  GBR | Koka/Seoi-nage (4:00) | Kenia Rodríguez | CUB |
| Match #3 | Celita Schutz | USA | Waza-ari/Ko-uchi-makikomi (4:00) | Keiko Maeda |  JPN |
| Match #4 | Séverine Vandenhende | FRA | Ippon/Uchi-mata-sukashi (0:48) | Sophie Roberge |  CAN |
Semi-Finals (19 September 2000)
| Match #1 | Anja von Rekowski | GER | Hantei/Yusei-gachi (4:00) | Karen Roberts | GBR |
| Match #2 | Séverine Vandenhende | FRA | Ippon/Ura-nage (2:05) | Celita Schutz | USA |
Final Round (19 September 2000)
| Match #1 | Séverine Vandenhende | FRA | Waza-ari awasete Ippon/Sumi-gaeshi (3:49) | Anja von Rekowski | GER |
Repêchage (19 September 2000)
| Match #1 | Saida Dhahri | TUN | Ippon/Kusure-kesa-gatame (2:10) | Karen Roberts | GBR |
| Match #2 | Jeong Seong-Suk | KOR | Ippon/Uchi-mata (3:24) | Sophie Roberge | CAN |
| Match #3 | Jeong Seong-Suk | KOR | Yuko/Non-Combativity (4:00) | Celita Schutz | USA |
| Match #4 | Jeong Seong-Suk | KOR | Koka/Uchi-makikomi (4:00) | Saida Dhahri | TUN |
| Match 3/4 | Jeong Seong-Suk | KOR | Hantei/Yusei-gachi (4:00) | Jenny Gal-Vismara | ITA |
Final Round (19 September 2000)
| Match 1/2 | Séverine Vandenhende | FRA | Yuko/False-Attack (4:00) | Li Shufang | CHN |