Extra-Lightweight (≤48 kilograms), Women
| Date | 2 August 1992 | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Olympic | |
| Location | Palau Blaugrana, Barcelona | |
| 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. | |
This class had been dominated for the past several years by France’s Cécile Nowak and Britain’s Karen Briggs. Briggs was World Champion in 1989, with Nowak winning in 1991. Nowak had been European Champion from 1990-92 and defeated Briggs in the final of the 1991 Worlds and all three European tournaments. In the A Pool final, Briggs fought Japan’s Ryoko Tamura. But Briggs separated her shoulder and eventually lost by hansoku-make. Tamura met Nowak in the final, with Nowak winning the gold medal in a close match, her victory only by koka. For Tamura, this was her first of five consecutive medals in this class, including gold in 2000-2004. She would also win seven World Championships in this class. Extremely popular in Japan, and known as “Yawara-chan,” she later married Japanese baseball player Yoshitomo Tani.
Pool A (2 August 1992)
Round One (2 August 1992)
| Match #1 | Yolanda Soler |  ESP | Waza-ari/Sukui-nage (4:00) | Yu Hui-Jun |  KOR |
| Match #2 | Karen Briggs |  GBR | Yuko/Sukui-nage (4:00) | Brigitte Lastrade |  CAN |
| Match #3 | Ryoko Tamura |  JPN | Yuko/O-soto-gari (4:00) | Amarilis Savón |  CUB |
| Match #4 | Li Aiyue |  CHN | Yuko/Harai-makikomi (4:00) | Leposava Marković |  IOA |
Quarter-Finals (2 August 1992)
| Match #1 | Yolanda Soler | ESP | Yuko/Ko-uchi-gari (4:00) | Małgorzata Roszkowska |  POL |
| Match #2 | Karen Briggs | GBR | Waza-ari/Yoko-tomoe-nage (4:00) | Khishigbatyn Erdenet-Od |  MGL |
| Match #3 | Ryoko Tamura | JPN | Ippon/Kami-shiho-gatame (4:00) | Andréa Berti |  BRA |
| Match #4 | Li Aiyue | CHN | Waza-ari/Sumi-otoshi (4:00) | Kang Yong-Ok |  PRK |
Semi-Finals (2 August 1992)
| Match #1 | Karen Briggs | GBR | Ippon/Kami-shiho-gatame (3:17) | Yolanda Soler | ESP |
| Match #2 | Ryoko Tamura | JPN | Ippon/Uchi-mata (2:13) | Li Aiyue | CHN |
Final Round (2 August 1992)
| Match #1 | Ryoko Tamura | JPN | Hansoku-make/Penalty (3:36) | Karen Briggs | GBR |
Repêchage (2 August 1992)
| Match #1 | Brigitte Lastrade | CAN | Ippon/Kami-shiho-gatame (3:28) | Khishigbatyn Erdenet-Od | MGL |
| Match #2 | Yolanda Soler | ESP | Yusei-gachi (4:00) | Brigitte Lastrade | CAN |
| Match #3 | Amarilis Savón | CUB | Shido/Penalty (4:00) | Andréa Berti | BRA |
| Match #4 | Amarilis Savón | CUB | Ippon/Okuri-ashi-barai (1:12) | Li Aiyue | CHN |
| Match #5 | Amarilis Savón | CUB | Ippon/Kami-shiho-ashi (1:43) | Yolanda Soler | ESP |
| Match 3/4 | Amarilis Savón | CUB | Yusei-gachi (4:00) | Salima Souakri |  ALG |
Pool B (2 August 1992)
Round One (2 August 1992)
| Match #1 | Kerstin Emich |  GER | Yuko/Sumi-gaeshi (4:00) | Huang Yu-Shin |  TPE |
| Match #2 | Cécile Nowak |  FRA | bye | ||
| Match #3 | Michaela Bornemann |  AUT | bye | ||
| Match #4 | Salima Souakri | ALG | Yusei-gachi (4:00) | Donna Hilton |  NZL |
Quarter-Finals (2 August 1992)
| Match #1 | Giovanna Tortora |  ITA | Yuko/O-uchi-gari (4:00) | Kerstin Emich | GER |
| Match #2 | Cécile Nowak | FRA | Ippon/Tsuri-komi-goshi (0:19) | Hülya Şenyurt |  TUR |
| Match #3 | Michaela Bornemann | AUT | Ippon/Yoko-shiho-gatame (2:59) | Annikka Mutanen |  FIN |
| Match #4 | Salima Souakri | ALG | Yusei-gachi (4:00) | María Villapol |  VEN |
Semi-Finals (2 August 1992)
| Match #1 | Cécile Nowak | FRA | Kiken-gachi (3:50) | Giovanna Tortora | ITA |
| Match #2 | Salima Souakri | ALG | Koka/O-uchi-gari (4:00) | Michaela Bornemann | AUT |
Final Round (2 August 1992)
| Match #1 | Cécile Nowak | FRA | Ippon/Uchi-mata | Salima Souakri | ALG |
Repêchage (2 August 1992)
| Match #1 | Hülya Şenyurt | TUR | bye | ||
| Match #2 | Hülya Şenyurt | TUR | bye | ||
| Match #3 | María Villapol | VEN | Ippon/Tate-shiho-gatame (1:38) | Donna Hilton | NZL |
| Match #4 | María Villapol | VEN | Waza-ari/O-goshi (4:00) | Michaela Bornemann | AUT |
| Match #5 | Hülya Şenyurt | TUR | Yuko/Tani-otoshi (4:00) | María Villapol | VEN |
| Match 3/4 | Hülya Şenyurt | TUR | Waza-ari/Uchi-mata (4:00) | Karen Briggs | GBR |
Final Round (2 August 1992)
| Match 1/2 | Cécile Nowak | FRA | Koka/Kuchiki-taoshi (4:00) | Ryoko Tamura | JPN |