Thierry Rey started judo at 9 years old in Lagny-sur-Marne, becoming Olympic Champion in Moscow in 1980 at just 21 years old! He is the first French judoka to combine world and Olympic titles. Since then, he has had a full life, as Denis Soula tells us.
The question of the day
Who is Thierry ReyOlympic Judo champion in Moscow in 1980?
The response from France Bleu Paris
To answer us, Denis SOULApassionate about sports history and author of books on sport and the Olympic Games.
“Thierry Rey wrote a book he called Seven Lives (Stock Edition). It’s very true, this man lives at a hundred miles an hour: sportsman, television commentator, club owner, film actor, son-in-law of the President ChiracAdvisor Francois Hollande, Thierry Rey devours life to the fullest.”
“He started judo at 9 years old in Lagny sur Marne and established himself very young in his category, the super lightweight, less than 60 kg. At eighteen he won the Paris Tournament and at twenty he was world champion.”. A whirlwind journey that propelled him to the Moscow Games in 1980. Denis Soula developed : “In 1980, following the invasion of Afghanistan by the USSR, some countries or sports federations decided to boycott the Olympic Games. This is not the case for France and French judo. An exceptional vintage where stand out Angelo Parisi or Bernard Tchoulouyan. Pour Thierry Rey, these games are an epic. The day before his competition which took place on Friday August 2, he was unable to reach the requested weight. He trained a lot, he gained muscle and the scale shows 61-62 kilos. So, on the morning of the tests, he puts on whatever t-shirt, sweaters and tracksuit he can find and he goes out for a run. He describes seeing dawn break over Moscow and running like Stallone in Rocky. An unforgettable memory!”
Eventually, Thierry Rey loses the grams it was missing, and history can be written. Denis Soula tells us : “He can finally eat, hydrate and prepare for a round of knife fights. Thierry has an attacking judo, aggressive, spectacular, aggressive. After three victories, he faced a Russian in the semi-final then a Cuban in the final. He places a decisive koka and triumphs.” One last anecdote, “one last memory of the games, before sharing a beer with his friends, on the podium during the Marseillaise, he sees George Marchais, the leader of the Communist Party in the standsthe only French leader to have made the trip.”
A great story, for a great champion of French judo, who is also Special Advisor to the Organizing Committee for these Paris 2024 Games.
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On August 1, 1980, Thierry Rey became Olympic judo champion in Moscow. – Robert Legros / The Team
2024-03-07 07:48:22
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