| | Event type
Lightweight (≤57 kilograms), Women
| Date | 18 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 | 23 from 23 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. | |
Since the mid-90s, this class was led by two athletes – Spain’s Isabel Fernández and Cuba’s Driulys González. They had met in the last two World Championship finals, Fernández winning in 1997 and González in 1999. At Atlanta in 1996, González had won Olympic gold, with Fernández taking bronze. González had a slight edge in their matches, entering Sydney with five victories and only two losses in their bouts against each other. They made it to the final comfortably, although Fernández won her three matches going the limit. The final was a dull, passive affair, with Fernández winning.
Pool A (18 September 2000)
Round One (18 September 2000)
| Match #1 | Isabel Fernández |  ESP | Ippon/Ura-nage (1:45) | Khishigbatyn Erdenet-Od |  MGL |
| Match #2 | Mária Pekli |  AUS | Waza-ari/Non-Combativity (4:00) | Zülfiyyə Hüseynova |  AZE |
| Match #3 | Jessica Gal |  NED | Yuko/Go-Outside-Contest-Area (4:00) | Ludmila Cristea |  MDA |
Quarter-Finals (18 September 2000)
| Match #1 | Kie Kusakabe |  JPN | Waza-ari awasete Ippon/Seoi-nage (4:00) | Cheryle Peel |  GBR |
| Match #2 | Isabel Fernández | ESP | Yuko/Defensive-Posture (4:00) | Ellen Wilson |  USA |
| Match #3 | Mária Pekli | AUS | Yuko/Seoi-nage (4:00) | Françoise Nguele |  CMR |
| Match #4 | Pernilla Andersson |  SWE | Hantei/Yusei-gachi (4:00) | Jessica Gal | NED |
Semi-Finals (18 September 2000)
| Match #1 | Isabel Fernández | ESP | Koka/Shido/Yusei-gachi (4:00) | Kie Kusakabe | JPN |
| Match #2 | Mária Pekli | AUS | Waza-ari/Non-Combativity (4:00) | Pernilla Andersson | SWE |
Final Round (18 September 2000)
| Match #1 | Isabel Fernández | ESP | Hantei/Yusei-gachi (4:00) | Mária Pekli | AUS |
Repêchage (18 September 2000)
| Match #1 | Khishigbatyn Erdenet-Od | MGL | Ippon/Sode-tsuri-komi-goshi (1:42) | Ellen Wilson | USA |
| Match #2 | Kie Kusakabe | JPN | Yuko/Sumi-otoshi (4:00) | Khishigbatyn Erdenet-Od | MGL |
| Match #3 | Zülfiyyə Hüseynova | AZE | Ippon/Kusure-kesa-gatame (2:16) | Françoise Nguele | CMR |
| Match #4 | Zülfiyyə Hüseynova | AZE | Waza-ari/Uki-goshi (4:00) | Pernilla Andersson | SWE |
| Match #5 | Kie Kusakabe | JPN | Ippon/O-soto-gari (0:15) | Zülfiyyə Hüseynova | AZE |
| Match 3/4 | Kie Kusakabe | JPN | Ippon/O-soto-gari (0:44) | Shen Jun |  CHN |
Pool B (18 September 2000)
Round One (18 September 2000)
| Match #1 | Cinzia Cavazzuti |  ITA | Koka/Non-Combativity (4:00) | Michaela Vernerová |  CZE |
| Match #2 | Tânia Ferreira |  BRA | Waza-ari/Sasae-tsuri-komi-ashi (4:00) | Michelle Buckingham |  CAN |
| Match #3 | Marisabel Lomba |  BEL | Ippon/Osae-komi-waza (3:36) | Rose Marie Kouaho |  CIV |
| Match #4 | Barbara Harel |  FRA | Ippon/Uchi-mata (0:58) | Laurie Pace |  MLT |
Quarter-Finals (18 September 2000)
| Match #1 | Cinzia Cavazzuti | ITA | Yuko/Ippon Seoi-nage (4:00) | Filipa Cavalleri |  POR |
| Match #2 | Shen Jun | CHN | Ippon/Kusure-kami-shiho-gatame (3:25) | Tânia Ferreira | BRA |
| Match #3 | Marisabel Lomba | BEL | Yuko/Uchi-makikomi (4:00) | Orit Bar-On |  ISR |
| Match #4 | Driulis González |  CUB | Ippon/Seukui-nage (0:56) | Barbara Harel | FRA |
Semi-Finals (18 September 2000)
| Match #1 | Shen Jun | CHN | Hantei/Yusei-gachi (4:00) | Cinzia Cavazzuti | ITA |
| Match #2 | Driulis González | CUB | Yuko/O-uchi-gari (4:00) | Marisabel Lomba | BEL |
Final Round (18 September 2000)
| Match #1 | Driulis González | CUB | Yuko/O-uchi-gari (4:00) | Shen Jun | CHN |
Repêchage (18 September 2000)
| Match #1 | Cinzia Cavazzuti | ITA | Waza-ari/Kuchiki-taoshi (4:00) | Tânia Ferreira | BRA |
| Match #2 | Barbara Harel | FRA | Ippon/Ura-nage (1:28) | Marisabel Lomba | BEL |
| Match #3 | Cinzia Cavazzuti | ITA | Yuko/Uchi-mata (4:00) | Barbara Harel | FRA |
| Match 3/4 | Mária Pekli | AUS | Koka/Yusei-gachi (4:00) | Cinzia Cavazzuti | ITA |
Final Round (18 September 2000)
| Match 1/2 | Isabel Fernández | ESP | Waza-ari/O-uchi-gari (4:00) | Driulis González | CUB |