Elisabetta Fratini of the IJF IT Team said, “Like all editions of the Games, you always think you’re prepared for these emotions but it is never true. Once you’re there it’s a carousel of emotions. We know the athletes’ stories and their qualification challenges. We have been living with them on the Tour. I always feel it would be nice to award them all medals like at a children’s competition but it’s not possible. It’s so painful to see them losing and we know some will not continue after the Paris Games so it’s a big turning point in the lives of the participants and coaches and team staff.
It will take time to digest this Games. The pinnacle is the Games, different from all other events, with the public, the atmosphere and the cameras, all of which were greatly missed in Japan last time. The French public are doing an amazing job as always, just as they do at the Bercy. Seeing the venue full every day and seeing them engage with every action in every fight was incredible.”
IJF Secretary General Lisa Allan, who was also the LOCOG Judo Manager for the London 2012 Games said, “I’m very proud of our sport, our international judo family and all the people involved in the event, from our President, Marius Vizer, the EC, staff, the NOCs, and the Paris 2024 sport team, but mostly of the athletes who demonstrated the judo values with their respect, fair play and friendship."
"Many guests commented that they felt something very special when they visited the judo competition at the Olympics Games. There is a uniqueness, something that they find only with judo.
The venue was at capacity every day and had an amazing atmosphere, tribunes full of supporting families and friends who were delighted to see their favourite athletes perform."
"Personally, it has been a rollercoaster of emotions, a constantly changing mixture of elation, sadness, excitement, surprise, disappointment and empathy. We learn every day what human beings are capable of and what they are resilient enough to deal with.”
IJF Referee Ioana Babiuc also had thoughts about Paris, “What I felt from the athletes when I was on the tatami there at the Champs-de-Mars, was more than I have ever felt at any event before. This was not my first Games as a referee but this feeling was really different. We could feel their commitment, their will, their work. It was so strong from all of them. They were really there to fight with everything they had.”
Spectators were also led through the full range of emotions in Paris. Cedric, a French judoka now living in London, said, “It was my first ever Olympics and it was bigger, better than I imagined. I never thought much about the colossal organisation it takes. You can hear about it on TV but you don’t really understand until you experience it.
I chose to come to the judo event because my daughters and I are practising it and specifically chose day 4 for the -63kg category because of Clarisse Agbegnenou. We wanted to be there to celebrate her fabulous career. I was really excited for weeks before the event.
When the tournament final block began, watching the highest level of judo was really absorbing, the crowd cheering for every big moment of each fight. But when local hero Clarisse came on to mat, the atmosphere became electric, so loud, pure euphoria. I wanted to share this unique moment with my daughter, but more than that we shared it with the whole arena.
The crowd and my daughter chanted their champion’s name. So many mixed emotions live, in the moment, were shared with thousands of people and even without the Marseillaise, the whole experience was WOW!
We were also sat with some of the Mexican supporters as they saw Prisca Awiti-Alcaraz make history and with such panache. The whole experience was just incredible.”
The Olympic Games is now behind us and perhaps we miss it already but the universal emotional engagement with every aspect of what was shared will stay with us for a long time to come. Thank goodness we still have the Paralympics to come!