Jeon Ki-Young and Daniel Lascau new IJF referee directors

The two current chief directors of the IJF Refereeing Commission, Spaniard Juan Carlos Barcos and the Dutchman Jan Snijders will soon be replaced by the two new directors: Korean Ki-Young Jeon and German Daniel Lascau (world champion 1991). Both are currently supervisors.

The announcement was made public in Tashkent during the Grand Slam. Jeon was the 1996 Olympic champion of Atlanta and a triple world champion 1993, 1995 and 1997. Lascau was also World Champion in 1991 in Barcelona. Lascau was IJF sports commissioner since 2004 and IJF sport director since 2012. He has a Master Degree in Sport. He was EJU Sport Director until 2009 and EJU vice president from 2008-2012. He is former President of the Romanian Judo Federation. Both directors attended most of the IJF World Judo Tour events for years. 

Jeon was called 'Judo Genius'. Despite his height of 179cm, he reigned as the strongest in this weight class by freely practicing the upfishing, which is used by short athletes. Jeon received a doctorate from his master in 2003 and was appointed professor of Judo Department at Yongin University in 2005. It is the first time in 52 years since the opening of Yongin University in 1953 that a graduate from Pavilion University was appointed as a professor in the Department of Judo Department at Yongin University.

Snijders (77) stepped down as Head of Refereeing at the EJU previously and dedicated on his IJF work only. Snijders was awarded the ninth Dan last year. Snijders his international judo career in 1954 and in 1961 won gold at the European Junior Championships. One year later in 1962, he was European senior Champion in Essen and in 1964 he participated in the first Olympics in Tokyo. During the years 1962 to 1972, he was a member of the Dutch national team. He was a referee at seven world championships and at several Olympic Games (Seoul 1988 and Barcelona 1992). Snijders received a Royal award: Knight in the order of Orange Nassau. He is Honorary Member of the European Judo Union and Member of Merit of the Dutch Judo Assocation.

Juan Carlos Barcos (72) led the IJF refereeing commission since 2001. Barcos began judo at 13 in Pamplona. As a young practitioner and then a competitor, he also passed his judo teacher's diplomas, and while he was studying economics, he decided to set up his own gym whose judo quickly became the driving force. In parallel he started to be a referee and climbed the ladder to find himself refereeing the Moscow Games in 1980, then those in Los Angeles in 1984. 72-year old Barcos is a seventh Dan Economist and was awarded the National Gold Medal for Sporting Merit.

Both Barcos as Snijders are the elected refereeing members and will finish their executive members mandate until the World Championships this year in Budapest.