Born on April 7, 1989, in Pointe-à-Pitre (Guadeloupe), Teddy Riner is the most decorated judoka since the World championships became an annual event in 2007—the year of the first of his fourteen individual world titles to date: three at the Olympics, eleven at the World championships, in addition to his five European crowns in as […]
Riner, Krpalek, Tasoev – More than Three Men Lire la suite »
Born respectively on 29 October 1995 in Shihojiri (Japan) and 10 October 1993 in Brampton (Canada), Christa Deguchi and Kyle Roscoe Reyes have one thing in common: they live and train in Japan while defending the Canadian colours. The first ever Maple Leaf-flag World champion (in 2019 in… Tokyo), the U57kg category athlete has had
Christa Deguchi and Kyle Reyes – A Thin Red and White Line Lire la suite »
[FRA – À l’occasion de ses 40 ans ce 2 décembre 2024, nous publions ici une version en anglais d’un entretien réalisé à l’automne 2016 avec le flamboyant Havrais, 5e des JO 2008 en -60 kg et surtout indissociable d’un fameux dimanche 28 août 2011 de championnats du monde où, vexé de n’avoir pas été
What’s up… Dimitri Dragin? (2016) Lire la suite »
Born on 2 May 1966 in Este (Italy), Raffaele Toniolo has been the master of ceremonies of a Christmas course of growing renown since 1996. Since 2012, it has been held on the heights of the Bardonecchia ski resort, just across the Alps from the Fréjus tunnel. It is the winter counterpart to another course,
Raffaele Toniolo – Bardonecchia, with Family Lire la suite »
Born on 12 July 1995 in Noisy-le-Sec (France), Amandine Buchard was between August 2013 and August 2016 the only Frenchwoman among the eleven members of the World Judo Academy, a series that I had the privilege of hosting for eighteen issues of the bi-monthly L’Esprit du judo and which also featured the Hungarian U57 Hedvig
Amandine Buchard – Status and Liberty Lire la suite »
Born on 26 July 1944 in Ulrichshorst (Germany), Norbert Littkopf passed away on 25 October 2024 at the age of 80. Having taken up judo at the age of 17, ‘Nobsch’ made his mark as coach of the reunited German women’s team from 1990 to 2008, both through his results and his personality. Over this
Norbert Littkopf (1944-2024), by Annett Boehm Lire la suite »
[FRA – Cet article est une reprise de la version anglaise d’un papier publié en deux parties, en août et octobre 2014 dans le bimestriel français L’Esprit du judo. Cette version anglaise a été mise en ligne en février 2015 dans l’ancienne version du site Internet de l’EDJ, mais n’était plus visible
How Did Ezio Become Gamba? (2015) Lire la suite »
Born on 13 March 1990 in Vanier (Canada), Antoine Valois-Fortier spent a decade as one of the leading lights in the highly competitive U81kg category. An unexpected bronze medallist at the age of 22 at the 2012 Olympic Games, Nicolas Gill’s protégé went on to confirm that his London podium finish was anything but a
Antoine Valois-Fortier – The Constant Gardener Lire la suite »
Born on 25 October 1994 in Ullapool (Scotland), and naturalized Spanish in February 2024, Malin Wilson Claret was, in another life, my children’s… babysitter. That was in the spring of 2013, in Lyon (France). Eighteen years old at the time, the U57kg was at the crossroads of a life that she already knew deep down
Malin Wilson – Come. See. Conquer. Lire la suite »
