Kelvin Ray joins World Judo Championships as late replacement

French judoka Kelvin Ray steps onto the mat for the under-66kg category at the World Judo Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, after receiving a late call-up to replace the injured Walide Khyar ahead of competition beginning on Monday, October 5.

The Monday Night Call-Up Replacing Walide Khyar

The opportunity arose after Walide Khyar withdrew from the tournament due to an injury sustained in August. National men’s team coach Daniel Fernandes informed Ray of his selection on a Monday evening following a day of waiting as medical staff evaluated Khyar’s fitness. Ray had spent the preceding three months listed as the official substitute for the division, maintaining training routines without confirmation of an active slot. While acknowledging that the preparation window is compressed, Ray noted that avoiding a lengthy, high-pressure preparation cycle left him mentally fresher than competitors who spent months anticipating the event.

Circuit Experience Built Against Top-Ten Opponents

Ray arrives in Baku having gained valuable senior-level experience throughout the international circuit, highlighted by a third-place finish at the Grand Prix in China last June. Rather than viewing himself merely as an unheralded replacement, Ray stated that his matches against seasoned veterans have proven his ability to compete at the highest level of the sport.

Weighing Ambitions and Managing Weight in Paris

Reflecting on competing at the senior world championships at age 20, Ray pointed to international precedents where athletes in their early twenties secure world and Olympic titles, framing his own timeline as normal for someone with championship aspirations. Selected just one week prior to the tournament, the 20-year-old Paris Saint-Germain athlete enters his first senior world championships carrying expectations of claiming the global title despite his late entry. Following Monday’s confirmation, Ray collected his equipment on Tuesday and departed for Baku on Wednesday at 7 a.m. alongside the lightweight contingent of the French squad. Having completed a high-volume training block during the previous month, he spent his final week focusing on weight management, active recovery, and technical sharpening.

Shared Baku Training With Dayyan Boulemtafes

During the build-up in Baku, Ray shares his training environment with close friend and teammate Dayyan Boulemtafes, who competes in the under-73kg category and earned a bronze medal at the European Championships. Both athletes represent the younger generation of the French national team striving to establish themselves at the senior elite level. With his weight stable and physical conditioning peaked for the competition schedule, Ray enters the opening preliminary rounds aiming to advance through the under-66kg bracket.

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