Tadahiro Nomura won Paris in his Olympic years

Tadahiro Nomura is still record holder when it comes to Olympic gold medals. The king of judo won the world title in 1997 and has good memories to the French capital. Nomura won the Tournoi de Paris twice, in 2000 and 2004, exactly the years in which he captured the Olympic titles. The IJF interviewed the legendary Nomura about his Paris feelings.

IJF: What makes the Paris tournament so special?

Nomura Tadahiro (NT): “The Paris Tournament has always held a special place in my heart as it receives a lot of attention and tends to be one of the most crowd pleasing and heated tournaments.”

IJF: How does it feel to be out there on the mat in front of such a vast and passionate crowd?

NT: “It was one of my greatest joys to compete there and to see how the crowds would be so responsive to the various techniques displayed regardless of nationality.”

IJF: You won in Paris in 2000 and 2004. How important were these victories towards your Olympic gold medals in 2000 and 2004?

NT: “There is no doubt that the Olympic national trials as well as the Grand Slams in Paris in the Olympic year gave me a lot of motivation and confidence towards the Olympics.”

IJF: What are you looking forward to about this year's Paris Grand Slam?

NT: “I am obviously looking forward to heated matches as well as many ippon wins!”

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