UNTIL THE BEGINNING OF THE PARIS GRAND SLAM, FRANCE JUDO OFFERS YOU TO LIVE TO THE RHYTHM OF THE COMPETITION BY REMEMBERING 50 YEARS OF HISTORIES, PASSIONS AND EMOTIONS. RETURN IN THIS ARTICLE ON THE FULGURING DEVELOPMENT OF THE PARIS TOURNAMENT.
After a promising start and a rapid rise among the important competitions of the world circuit, the Paris tournament confirms its status by opening up to female athletes during the 1988 edition. Driven by the enthusiasm of their debut at Coubertin, the French athletes dominate this first edition by winning in 5 of the 7 categories. The men’s team also shines. Led by Marc Alexandre, Stéphane Traineau and Fabien Canu, it won 6 medals, giving the French team a maddening record of 11 out of 14 possible titles!
The following years are logically less rich for our Blues. In 1989, like the beginnings of Barcelona three years later, Catherine Fleury-Vachon and Cécile Nowak imposed themselves in their respective categories. The young Noriko Mizoguchi is definitely the leader of the Japanese women’s team by winning a second title in two participations. Little by little, the overall level of women’s teams is rising and the gap between small and large nations is narrowing: more and more nations are now able to run for the highest places on the podium in Paris. Cuba is one of them: led by his coach Ronaldo Veitía Valdivié and his student Odalis Revé Jimenez, Cuba won 15 medals between 1991 and 1999, more than any other nation.
Year after year, the Paris tournament continues to grow. In 1992, 47 nations were represented for nearly 500 participants. The gradual increase in the number of participants and the ever-increasing number of spectators at Coubertin are pushing the organizers of the international tournament in Paris to explore avenues of development for the tournament. The Porte de Saint-Cloud room, between judo in Paris, now seems too small for the Paris tournament. Sign of the imminent change, the 1997 world judo championships are organized at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy. The 1998 edition was notably marked by the inauguration of new weight categories (note: these categories are still in force). In 1999, the decision was made: it will be the last tournament in Paris at Coubertin. The beautiful story with Coubertin does not end with the apotheosis hoped for for the France team, which only resonates with the Marseillaise once. It is ultimately the transalpine neighbor who creates the surprise by placing 3 athletes on the top step of the podium.
The departure from the Pierre de Coubertin stadium represents the end of a chapter in the history of the tournament. The “cauldron” as most of the former athletes who were able to experience the Paris tournament and its incandescent atmosphere still call it, has been replaced by the immensity and modernity of the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy. The tournament changes era …
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