"This year, I had the incredible opportunity to experience something I never thought I would: the Olympic Games! Being at the Paris 2024 Olympics as a coach for Vanuatu, with the -81 kg athlete Hugo Cumbo, was beyond what I could have imagined.
Let’s take a step back. Several years ago, after spending three consecutive years in Japan, I returned to France to complete my studies. Despite being settled, the desire to explore the world through judo never left me. My goal was to witness the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as a spectator during my project. However, Covid derailed those plans, forcing me to postpone my dreams and ultimately I missed the Tokyo Olympics.
Since its inception, the Judo Nomad Project has faced its share of ups and downs but it has continued to grow in recognition and legitimacy with each passing year. My plan for 2024 was to include a return to Paris for the Olympics. However, my tight budget made attending the event seem out of reach as I had to focus on the mission of sharing judo first.
That all changed in February 2024 when I arrived in Vanuatu, invited by Nicolas Monvoisin, the president of the newly reborn judo federation. Vanuatu, known as one of the happiest and most beautiful countries in the world, provided an unforgettable experience. During my stay, Nicolas mentioned that they had an athlete who might qualify for the Olympics but they lacked a coach. Given my experience all around the world, I was offered the role and thus I became Hugo’s coach.
Our preparation was challenging as we only met a few days before the competition began. He arrived in France ahead of me and we met in Divonne-les-Bains, near Geneva. Simultaneously, I was assisting the Indonesian team with administrative tasks. The Pacific islands often collaborate and my good contacts in Fiji, such as Josateki Naulu, who coached Gerard Takayawa, were instrumental in our journey. We were also fortunate to be invited by Axel Clerget (FRA), mixed team Olympic champion in Tokyo, to his club in Marnaval for a preparation camp. Training there, I had the chance learn from Axel’s expertise.
Hugo had the honour of being the flag bearer for Vanuatu at the opening ceremony. The Olympic Village buzzed with excitement but I stayed focused on Hugo’s preparation, including some training at my last French judo club, Asnières-sur-Seine, building strategies against Hugo’s first opponent, Frank De Wit.
Despite our limited preparation time, Hugo executed the kumi-kata strategy well but a ne-waza exchange revealed some gaps in his readiness, leading to a submission. Although our Olympic journey as coach and athlete ended there, my adventure was far from over.
After the competition, I shifted my focus back to the Judo Nomad Project, reconnecting with friends from around the world, including France, Finland, Slovakia, India, Macedonia, Japan, Australia, and more. The networking opportunities were invaluable, leading to new and exciting prospects for the project’s future.
This experience at the Paris 2024 Olympics is one of the greatest of my life, filled with intense emotions as a coach and unforgettable moments as a spectator. I witnessed historic events, including my friend Theodoros Tselidis and Lasha Bekauri make history for their countries. I saw Teddy Riner solidify his legacy and the French team’s stunning victory in the team event, with their heartfelt applause in the warm up room for the Japanese team who had just lost to them in the final. The tears were heartbreaking, the raw emotions were awe-inspiring.
I am deeply grateful to the IJF for supporting the project since its early days, to the Vanuatu federation and Hugo for trusting me with this mission, and to everyone who has helped my journey from one dojo to another. Thanks also to those who have supported my crowdfunding efforts, just 1$ at a time is helping to build this very ambitious judo project.
While I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished already, the Judo Nomad Project is far from over. This year, I will be visiting three more countries (the UK, Ireland and Iceland) and I am already preparing for Season 4. My hope is to continue this journey, perhaps all the way to the Brisbane Olympics!
Until then, stay tuned and don’t forget to follow the journey on @thejudonomad!
