| | Event type
Heavyweight (>100 kilograms), Men
| Date | 20 August 2004 | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Olympic | |
| Location | Olympiako Gymnastirio Ano Liosion, Ano Liossia | |
| Participants | 33 from 33 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. | |
At the 2003 World Championships, Japan’s Yasuyuki Muneta won the heavyweight division while his teammate, Keiji Suzuki, won the open class. With no open class at the Olympics, they competed against each other in the Japanese trials for the right to represent Japan in Athina in the heavyweight division. Suzuki was small for a heavyweight, often competing in half-heavyweight, but he defeated Muneta to make the team. The Olympics were easier for him. He advanced to the final where he faced Russian Tamerlan Tmenov, a five-time European champion. But at 1:17 of the final, Suzuki used de-ashi-barai to win by ippon. He would return in 2005 to win the World Championships. Tmenov continued to compete, winning seven European titles thru 2008, and four medals at the World Championships, but without a gold.
Pool A (20 August 2004)
Round One (20 August 2004)
| Match #1 | Kim Seong-Beom |  KOR | Yuko/Non-Combativity (5:00) | Aythami Ruano |  ESP |
Round Two (20 August 2004)
| Match #1 | Vitaliy Polianskyi |  UKR | Ippon/O-uchi-gari (1:49) | Islam El-Shehaby |  EGY |
| Match #2 | Paolo Bianchessi |  ITA | Waza-ari awasete Ippon/Soto-makikomi (3:31) | Kim Seong-Beom | KOR |
| Match #3 | Dennis van der Geest |  NED | Ippon/Soto-makikomi (1:53) | Luis Morán |  HON |
| Match #4 | Yeldos Ikhsangaliyev |  KAZ | Ippon/Uchi-mata (0:09) | Hadir Lazame |  IRQ |
| Match #5 | Keiji Suzuki |  JPN | Waza-ari/Soto-makikomi (5:00) | Andreas Tölzer |  GER |
| Match #6 | Charis Papaioannou |  GRE | Ippon/Yoko-shiho-gatame (1:00) | Leonel Wilfredo Ruiz |  VEN |
| Match #7 | Yury Rybak |  BLR | Ippon/Sumi-gaeshi (0:38) | Orlando Baccino |  ARG |
| Match #8 | Pan Song |  CHN | Ippon/Ko-soto-gake (2:56) | Grzegorz Eitel |  POL |
Quarter-Finals (20 August 2004)
| Match #1 | Paolo Bianchessi | ITA | Waza-ari awasete Ippon/Kusure-kesa-gatame (2:38) | Vitaliy Polianskyi | UKR |
| Match #2 | Dennis van der Geest | NED | Ippon/Kami-shiho-gatame (2:47) | Yeldos Ikhsangaliyev | KAZ |
| Match #3 | Keiji Suzuki | JPN | Ippon/Uchi-mata (3:02) | Charis Papaioannou | GRE |
| Match #4 | Yury Rybak | BLR | Waza-ari awasete Ippon/Sukui-nage (2:03) | Pan Song | CHN |
Semi-Finals (20 August 2004)
| Match #1 | Paolo Bianchessi | ITA | Koka/False-Attack (5:00/3:40) Golden Score | Dennis van der Geest | NED |
| Match #2 | Keiji Suzuki | JPN | Ippon/Uchi-mata (3:42) | Yury Rybak | BLR |
Final Round (20 August 2004)
| Match #1 | Keiji Suzuki | JPN | Ippon/Uchi-mata (2:55) | Paolo Bianchessi | ITA |
Repêchage (20 August 2004)
| Match #1 | Kim Seong-Beom | KOR | Ippon/Tani-otoshi (2:12) | Vitaliy Polianskyi | UKR |
| Match #2 | Andreas Tölzer | GER | Waza-ari awasete Ippon/Yoko-shiho-gatame (1:19) | Charis Papaioannou | GRE |
| Match #3 | Dennis van der Geest | NED | Ippon/O-uchi-gari (2:05) | Kim Seong-Beom | KOR |
| Match #4 | Andreas Tölzer | GER | Ippon/Kata-gatame (1:06) | Yury Rybak | BLR |
| Match #5 | Dennis van der Geest | NED | Ippon/Ashi-guruma (0:06) | Andreas Tölzer | GER |
| Match 3/4 | Dennis van der Geest | NED | Waza-ari awasete Ippon/Kesa-gatame (1:28) | Sayed Miran Fashandi |  IRI |
Pool B (20 August 2004)
Round Two (20 August 2004)
| Match #1 | Sayed Miran Fashandi | IRI | Ippon/Uchi-mata (2:20) | Joel Brutus |  HAI |
| Match #2 | Selim Tataroğlu |  TUR | Ippon/Tai-otoshi (3:22) | Lasha Gujejiani |  GEO |
| Match #3 | Martin Boonzaayer |  USA | Ippon/Tate-shiho-gatame (2:21) | Majid Sultan |  KUW |
| Match #4 | Semír Pepic |  AUS | Ippon/Uchi-mata (0:13) | Sergio Andrés Camacho |  COL |
| Match #5 | Daniel Hernandes |  BRA | Waza-ari/Non-Combativity (5:00) | Emeka Onyemachi |  NGR |
| Match #6 | Tamerlan Tmenov |  RUS | Ippon/Ude-gatame (2:38) | Gabi Munteanu |  ROU |
| Match #7 | Abdullo Tangriyev |  UZB | Ippon/Tsuri-goshi (4:17) | Matthieu Bataille |  FRA |
| Match #8 | Indrek Pertelson |  EST | Ippon/Sukui-nage (1:57) | Mohamed Bouaichaoui |  ALG |
Quarter-Finals (20 August 2004)
| Match #1 | Sayed Miran Fashandi | IRI | Ippon/Non-Combativity (3:28) | Selim Tataroğlu | TUR |
| Match #2 | Semír Pepic | AUS | Ippon/Kusure-kesa-gatame (1:18) | Martin Boonzaayer | USA |
| Match #3 | Tamerlan Tmenov | RUS | Ippon/Sukui-nage (4:33) | Daniel Hernandes | BRA |
| Match #4 | Indrek Pertelson | EST | Yuko (2)/Sumi-otoshi (5:00) | Abdullo Tangriyev | UZB |
Semi-Finals (20 August 2004)
| Match #1 | Sayed Miran Fashandi | IRI | Waza-ari/Yoko-otoshi (5:00) | Semír Pepic | AUS |
| Match #2 | Tamerlan Tmenov | RUS | Ippon/Soto-makikomi (3:10) | Indrek Pertelson | EST |
Final Round (20 August 2004)
| Match #1 | Tamerlan Tmenov | RUS | Ippon/Tsuri-komi-goshi (4:40) | Sayed Miran Fashandi | IRI |
Repêchage (20 August 2004)
| Match #1 | Selim Tataroğlu | TUR | Ippon/Hold-Trouser-Leg (2:18) | Joel Brutus | HAI |
| Match #2 | Daniel Hernandes | BRA | Ippon/Uchi-mata (1:39) | Gabi Munteanu | ROU |
| Match #3 | Selim Tataroğlu | TUR | Waza-ari/O-uchi-gari (5:00) | Semír Pepic | AUS |
| Match #4 | Indrek Pertelson | EST | Ippon/Sasae-tsuri-komi-ashi (4:23) | Daniel Hernandes | BRA |
| Match #5 | Indrek Pertelson | EST | Waza-ari awasete Ippon/Yoko-guruma (4:37) | Selim Tataroğlu | TUR |
| Match 3/4 | Indrek Pertelson | EST | Ippon/Uchi-mata (1:17) | Paolo Bianchessi | ITA |
Final Round (20 August 2004)
| Match 1/2 | Keiji Suzuki | JPN | Ippon/De-ashi-barai (1:17) | Tamerlan Tmenov | RUS |