No Paris Olympics for Fabio Basile due to cervical injury

2016 Rio Olympic Champion Fabio Basile gave up on qualifying for the Olympic Games of Paris. Basile attempted to qualify in the U66kg category, after he switched from the U73kg divsion in this Olympic cycle. Despite his efforts, things didn't go as planned due to a cervical injury. With his competitors Elio Manzi and Matteo Piras ahead by almost 2,000 points and limited by an injury, Basile decided to stop, undergo delicate cervical surgery, and return fully recovered to compete in Los Angeles 2028.

Basile, hailing from Rivoli, Italy, clinched the Olympic gold in Rio and became a celebrity in Italy and in judo. At the Tokyo Olympic Games he was defeated by strong Korean An Chang-Rim in the first round U73kg. He finished fifth at the Paris Grand Slam in 2022 U73kg and seventh place in Budapest but he decided to switch to U66kg. Despite some highlights winning bronze at the Grand Prix Upper Austria Linz he couldn't make the difference to collect enough points for the Olympic Games and stranded too fast at Grand Slams in Baku, Tokyo and Paris and the GP Portugal. At the European Championships Basile lost in the second round. 

As a young athlete he attained the European U23 championship title in 2015. Basile boasts a European silver as a cadet in 2010 and bronze medals in both the European U20 and U23 age categories. 

Basile reacted from his hospital bed: "Strength doesn’t come from winning. Your struggles develop your strength. When you go through adversity and decide not to give up, that is strength.” In this Olympic cycle Basile wrote a motivation book about his unique character and, above all, how to remain strong in times of difficulty, perhaps a good one to go through once more and recover.

Basile will turn 30 this year, young enough to give it a try for the next Olympic Games in Los Angeles..