Jorre Verstraeten and Toma Nikiforov were even less happy, confirming at their expense the rule which “wants” that 80% of the medalists were seeded, that is to say in the top 8 of the Olympic ranking when arriving in the capital French. Beyond the results, there are lessons to be learned to consider the future, in the short and long term…
Cédric Taymans, what assessment do you draw from the Paris Games?
“We had four qualifiers and we won a medal. We put a lot of pressure on Matthias, he himself was aiming for gold. And I think it was complicated for him to manage. Now, in judo, a fifth place, in – 81 kg, it’s still exceptional. Jorre worked hard with his potential. As for Toma, I think his impulsiveness played tricks on him. And then, we have Gaby who had a great day with bronze up for grabs. But I was convinced that these four judokas were all capable of winning a medal. It fell on Gaby. So much the better for her when we know her journey, her resilience.”
Is the ratio of one medal for four qualifiers good?
“When we see the international criteria where only the first seventeen in the Olympic ranking are qualified, we can say to ourselves that it is already not easy. And, then, since some often compare us to the Netherlands, we have to know that they had ten entries and that they returned without a medal. Since Robert Van de Walle in 1980, in Moscow, Belgian judo has always brought home at least one medal except in 1984, in Los Angeles and, in 2008, in Beijingwhere Dirk Van Tichelt finished fifth. We must be ambitious but also keep our feet on the ground when we see the development of sport in all countries.”
What is the future of our judo at the dawn of this Olympiad?
“The time has come for evaluations but also for objectives. That being said, in four years, anything can happen. At the French-speaking level, I think we have a good team. With Sami Chouchi, there is no point in establishing a plan until 2028 We will see year after year It’s the same for Toma Nikiforov, I think, since they are the same age, 31 years old. But, behind them, there is a succession with Loïs Petit, Alessia Corrao, Malik Umayev. even Yves Ndao There are also younger ones, which we are waiting to see how they will hatch.”
gull “With our potential, we could present a mixed team in 2028, in Los Angeles.”
Is Belgian judo in the reconstruction phase?
“We always try to anticipate because we are a small country. We will never have a complete team at the Olympics. We must not dream. But I am optimistic. I think that with the appointment of Dirk Van Tichelt as coach principal in Flanders, we should be able to build together, even more than previously, whether in terms of training, training courses, physical preparation. In Paris, Gaby’s medal is French-speaking. , Dirk, on the Dutch-speaking side But these are always Belgian podiums! No matter the functions, the positions of each person within the federations, the important thing is the synergies and I am sure that Dirk has the same ambitions as me. for our judo But we started at the medical level with a joint physiotherapist in Grand Slam.
Can we have more Belgian judokas in 2028 in Los Angeles?
“I have always talked about quality rather than quantity. In Paris, we had four, like in Tokyo. Honestly, I sign with both hands if we have four or five in Los Angeles. But there is also competition by teams, we could present a mixed team. It is in our plans. The goal is to bring together. And we started with the national training which takes place alternately in Wilrijk and Louvain-la-Neuve. , where we will soon have our new dojo It is extremely important to have a judo house, not only for the high level. It will be a boost for young people and for the clubs. ! See the imbroglio at Atletiek Vlaanderen.”
Four Belgian judokas at the Olympics!
