The international judo family is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of IOC Member Alex Gilady at the age of 79. Mr Gilady was a good friend to judo and attended the World Judo Tour events regularly.
Mr Alex Gilady presenting medals during the 2021 Tel Aviv Grand Slam

A pioneer of television coverage of the Olympic Games, he began as a sports commentator, before becoming the Head of Sports, Special Operations, Vice President and eventually Senior Vice President of NBC Sports.

NBC began to broadcast the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 1964, the same year Mr Gilady started his career as a journalist in his home country of Israel.

Following his 1984 to the Radio and Television Commission of the International Olympic Committee, in which role he served through to 2015, 10 years later, in 1994, he was elected as an IOC Member.

Mr Alex Gilady (left) and Mr Marius Vizer (right)

IJF President, Mr Marius Vizer said, "It is with great sadness that we learned of the passing of IOC Member Alex Gilady. Mr Gilady’s extensive expertise and devotion to the service of sport and its values will be reminisced. He was a great visionary in the world of sport and his specialisation in TV Broadcasting definitively added to the revolution in modernising all sports and how they were presented on television and a result of that was an increasing interest and viewership of sport content throughout the world.

He added great value also in judo, supporting us with the inclusion of 4D replay during the Tokyo Games. Moreover on a personal level he was a great friend to movement, a person filled with passion and life.

On behalf of the International Judo Federation I would like to express our sincere condolences and deepest sympathies to the family and friends of our dear colleague Alex and to the entire sport family.

Our thoughts accompany you in these difficult moments. He will be greatly missed."

See also
Paris GS 2026
Paris GS 2026: What to Look Out For? (Part 2)

30. Jan. 2026 / The Paris Grand Slam 2026 is fast approaching.

Video
A Brother’s Support Is Priceless

29. Jan. 2026 / In the high-pressure world of elite judo, medals, rankings ...

JudoPod
More Than a Flag: How Christa Deguchi Rewrote the Rules of Olympic Success

29. Jan. 2026 / Christa Deguchi’s Paris 2024 Olympic gold looks simple ...

Video
Farewell to a True Judo Artist

28. Jan. 2026 / The IJF has paid tribute to one of the most admired ...

Paris GS 2026
Paris GS 2026: What to Look Out For? (Part 1)

28. Jan. 2026 / The Paris Grand Slam 2026 is fast approaching.

Legends
Dennis van der Geest: a Life Built on Judo

27. Jan. 2026 / Every generation of judoka has its defining figures, ...

Paris GS 2026
Where the Season Begins and Dreams Take Shape

27. Jan. 2026 / If there is one event that the judo world eagerly awaits, ...

News
Triple Event in Casablanca Kicks Off an Ambitious 2026 Season

27. Jan. 2026 / Casablanca, Morocco, had the privilege of opening what ...

Judo for All
Invisible Young Athletes: Making Inclusion Visible Through Sport

27. Jan. 2026 / The Erasmus+ project InYA, Invisible Young Athletes, ...

Judo for Peace
The Year Begins with International Exchange

26. Jan. 2026 / The new year began with energy and purpose for Judo ...

Interview
Julien Goes Around the World (36)

26. Jan. 2026 / With the arrival of 2026, the Judo Nomad project enters ...

Kata
Gijón Launches the Kata World Series Season

25. Jan. 2026 / The 2026 kata season began on Sunday 25th January in ...

News
In Casablanca, Referees Aim to Harmonise

24. Jan. 2026 / Prior to the first of three days of intense competition ...

INTERVIEW EXPRESS
Shishime Ai (JPN)

08. Jun. 2018 / The next reigning world champion to be invited to answer ...

News
5 Key Takeaways from judo’s first Tokyo 2020 qualifier

06. Jun. 2018 / Highlights from Hohhot Grand Prix 2018

VIDEO
Judo for the World in Iran

07. Jun. 2018 / In April 2018, the International Judo Federation and ...

Meeting
JUDO: A Beneficial Cause

07. Jun. 2018 / 'Society should believe in sport as a beneficial cause ...