Legendary Olympic gymnast Nadia Comaneci at Montreal Grand Prix

What do Nadia Comaneci and Marius Vizer have in common? The two distinguished guests will be at the Montreal Grand Prix, starting next Friday at the Maurice-Richard arena. IJF President Marius Vizer will be accompanied by IJF ambassador Nadia Comaneci.

Comaneci: “I discovered judo quite late. Every time I come to a judo tournament, I simply feel happy, and I consider them my family. It’s always a great pleasure to return to Montreal.”

Nicolas Gill, CEO and High Performance director of Judo Canada, felt the choice was an obvious one when he saw the list of IJF ambassadors.

Gill: “Her name was on top of the list. The fact her presence has been confirmed will definitely boost our event. All the activities surrounding the Grand Prix are around the Olympic stadium, making her the perfect spokesperson for the tournament.”

Born in Romania, Nadia Comaneci had an impact on the collective imagination and caught everyone’s attention when she won five Olympic gold medals in artistic gymnastic individual events. She was the first gymnast to score a perfect 10 on the uneven bars at the Montreal Olympic Games in 1976. On top of getting the mythical score six more times, Comaneci also has a collection of nine Olympic medals and four World Championship ones.

Today, Comaneci still promotes the values of sport and inspires the next generation of athletes. She fell in love with judo after attending several IJF events. She will be attending the draw and the medal ceremonies on the first day of the Montreal Grand Prix, held on July 5-7.

While Nadia Comaneci is well-known to the general public, judokas competing in the tournament will have the opportunity to shine in front of the IJF President. For Judo Canada, Mr. Vizer’s attendance is a great sign of confidence and the perfect opportunity to showcase the quality of their organization, as well as the venue at the Maurice-Richard arena and the national training centre at the Institut national du sport de Québec.

“The goal of the Grand Prix is to boost our sport in Canada and draw the attention of the International Judo Federation. We’re hoping this first event won’t be the last one in Canada! With all our activities being centralized in Montreal, I think it can help us attract more major events,” said Gill, confident that the excitement felt in Montreal will please the crowd.