In exactly 200 days the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad will begin in the French capital. While the organising committee is working to deliver the competitions on time, the International Judo Federation is also fully committed to ensuring that the judo tournament is a great success.
For many years, judo has been celebrated during the Summer Olympic Games. We could thus go back to the origin of judo at the Games, with a first appearance in 1964 and the advent of an exceptional champion, Anton Geesink, who, thanks to his victory, marked the entry of judo into the club of universal sports.
Closer to now, the Beijing Games were a great success, then those of London, then it was Rio and Brazil, another great judo nation. Finally three years ago, our sport returned to its cradle, in Japan, in the legendary Budokan, where the aforementioned Geesink won his title, for a Games which, although marked by the global pandemic, were extraordinary.
In 200 days, it will be the turn of Paris and its incredible public, in a country which has given the world so many champions. Until then, there are still many steps and they will only speed up time. Soon we will be talking about 100, then 50, then 10 days and it will be time to all come together for the Games.