Born on April 24, 1997 in Saint-Laurent-du-Var (France), Clémence Émé stepped up a level in 2026 with three notable Grand Slam podiums, including the title in Kazakhstan in the spring. Those three warning shots were followed, as a matter of course, by a first individual selection at twenty-nine for the World Championships in Baku in
Clémence Émé – Love (É)mé Do Read More »
On 10 May 2026, Tiphaine Gingelwein did us the honour of contributing JudoAKD#052, entitled Chechnya and the Caucasus, a Feminine Perspective in Nuance and Complexity. The title may have seemed rather long to those accustomed to vertical scrolling. In fact, it was almost an understatement, given how much this 24-year-old French doctoral researcher had to
Tiphaine Gingelwein (II) – Baku 2026, In and Out Read More »
Born respectively on 6 January 2022 in Nice and 11 August 1987 in Dijon, the Frenchmen Aleksa Mitrovic and Cyrille Maret found themselves, in spite of themselves, the foils in two moments as heroic as they were cruel, depending on one’s perspective: on 11 October 2026 in Baku (Azerbaijan) in the U90 kg category, and
Two Stories of Judo and Empathy Read More »
The anecdote is funny. From our family visit to Loïc Pietri in May 2025, my children mostly remember one detail: our host’s frequent “conversations” with his Alexa smart speaker. “Alexa, tell me what the weather will be this afternoon,” “Alexa, what’s the fastest way to get from my place to the Nice stadium by public
Loïc Pietri (II) – “Talking Is for Laughs. Doing Shuts People Up.” Read More »
Born on 7 July 1992 in Saint-Germain-en-Laye (France), Valentin Ménard is a former work colleague of our friend Rémi Guyot. Déclic – Les secrets de la préparation mentale des légendes du sport [Click – The Secrets of Mental Preparation of Sports Legends], his essay due out on 1 October 2026 from Éditions Eyrolles, offers a
Valentin Ménard – The Click (That Moment When Champions Just Know) Read More »
Born on October 16, 1999 in Włocławek (Poland), Angelika Szymańska has for several years caught observers’ attention with the calm, disciplined determination that comes through in every one of her grips and in her slightest standing-to-ground transitions. World No. 7 in the U63kg category just days before the Baku World Championships, she is one of
Angelika Szymańska – With the Restraint of Those Still on Their Way Read More »
And suddenly the view shifted. The first weekend of July 2026 marked a turning point. On the 3rd, Faïza Mokdar, twenty-four, world No. 3 in U57, announced the end of her career (see below). In the days that followed, at the football World Cup, the unpunished acts of anti-play in France–Paraguay, the almost regal reinstatement
From an Old Continent – Episode 5/13 – Summer 2026 Read More »
Born on July 13, 1998, in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Diyora Keldiyorova is the 2024 Olympic champion in the U52kg category. A recent documentary by the International Judo Federation produced with the support of Fighting Films in collaboration with the International Olympic Committee, looks back at this pivotal achievement as the woman who was also world silver
Diyora Keldiyorova – Another Giant Leap for (Wo)Mankind Read More »
Born on November 26, 1973 in Nice (France), Habib Alouache belongs to that category of teachers who make it a point of honor to stay (almost) as physically sharp as their students. A leadership ethic born of a mindset constantly on a razor’s edge, and of the conviction that credibility may only exist through embodiment.
Habib Alouache – Teaching Joy Read More »
