With the competition only just underway, one thing is already certain, that it is a resounding success.
“When we launched this project, we thought we might have 1,800 participants,” explains Bartoli. “Even that sounded huge.” But once registration was open, numbers began to surge, “1,200, then 1,300 and then 1,800 and over; it just kept escalating. We realised we were dealing with something far bigger than expected.”
The incredible momentum was fuelled by sustained promotion on social media and by a renewed passion for veteran judo. Despite the scale of the event, Bartoli credits the seamless organisation to the experienced France Judo team, the same group behind the Paris Grand Slam, “It’s been a colossal amount of work but the team has delivered. Accreditation was well-managed, even with some long queues. This morning people began to arrive at 6:30 am and we still managed to launch the competition at 8:30am.”
The most crowded categories were scheduled earlier in the day, allowing the final block to be held at reasonable hours, a decision well-received by the community.
What stands out most for Bartoli is the level of participant engagement, “On Day 2 we will have 700 competitors, the same number we’d normally have for an entire continental championship!”
Bartoli believes that this event is not just a success for France but is a blueprint for future international events, “We’ve planted seeds! The idea is to create a template that others can follow to expand veteran judo at the continental level and share our expertise through the IJF Veterans Commission.”
He also made a point of thanking both the IJF president and France Judo’s leadership for their trust and support in making this vision a reality.
One of the standout achievements this year is the surge in women’s participation. “With my French colleagues, we made it a priority to develop women’s veteran judo,” says Bartoli. “And we’re proud to have over 420 women registered, which is a significant milestone.”
As the Paris World Judo Championships Veterans continue, it’s clear that a new page is being written in the history of veteran judo, one marked by passion, inclusivity and the collective energy of a community that continues to grow, year after year.