Judo statue moved from Budapest to Lausanne

An amazing judo statue was unveiled on Monday at the Olympic Museum on the shores of Lake Geneva in Lausanne by IOC President Thomas Bach together with IJF President Marius Vizer. The statue was created by the artist Fodor-Lengyel Zoltan and was previously exhibited at the Budapest Judo World Championships in 2017.

The artwork was then offered to the IOC. After a long journey, the piece of art of more than two tons, has now found its final location in the very heart of the greenery of the gardens of the Olympic Museum, where it is visible to the general public.

At the opening of the unveil ceremony, President Bach declared: “One of the goals of the Olympic movement is to blend sports and culture. This is what we are doing on this special occasion. I want to congratulate the artist. I already saw the sculpture in Budapest and I am happy to see it here now. Thank you to the IJF for donating the statue. It is a very symbolic moment, which also illustrates the coming back of judo to Japan next year for the Olympic Games. The Olympic Museum is a special place for the whole Olympic family. I am really happy to welcome you all here.“

President Vizer declared: “We are very happy to be in Lausanne. It is a great honor for us, representatives of the judo family, to celebrate with the IOC on this special and historical day. We are competing for a better world. I want to take his occasion to thank, Thomas Bach, and the IOC, for this celebration and also for supporting the inclusion of the team event next year in Tokyo. This inauguration is symbolic of what judo can offer and of the values that our sport can give to the society.“