The miracle of Gabriella Willems in Paris

Gabriella Willems has etched her name in Belgian judo history by securing a bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. This achievement marks Belgium's first medal in the -70kg judo category since Heidi Rakels won bronze in 1992. Willems triumphed over Sanne Van Dijke from the Netherlands in a thrilling bronze medal match at the Champs-de-Mars Arena, delivering a momentous victory for Belgian judo.

Willems' journey to this point has been anything but smooth. Her career has been plagued by severe injuries, starting with a ruptured cruciate ligament in April 2021, which forced her to miss the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. In 2022, she endured another cruciate ligament tear and underwent Latarjet surgery to address recurrent shoulder dislocations. Despite these setbacks, Willems' determination and resilience saw her through to qualify for Paris 2024, a feat she describes as a "miracle."

After she saw her partner Christian Parlati losing his first contest she had to recover and make her own plans. Reflecting on her bronze medal win, Willems expressed her overwhelming joy and exhaustion: "The day was so tiring. I had to get myself together for each and every fight. It was amazing, but emotionally it was also very tiring. It is a competition where there are no rules, everything can happen. I am very happy to bring this medal to Belgian judo. It is really a dream come true."

The enthusiastic French crowd at the Champs-de-Mars Arena added to the memorable experience. Willems appreciated their passion for judo, saying, "French people love judo, and it's just amazing. It's one of those countries where people really love judo, and you can feel that when you're out there on the mat. It's wonderful to take part in these Games in Paris, and of course, it's so close to Belgium. It was fantastic."

Willems also highlighted the respect and camaraderie inherent in judo: "That's the beauty of judo. There are so many values that are intrinsic to judo. There is a huge amount of respect towards our rivals. Whether it's the beginning or after, we are friends."

Looking ahead, Willems is taking a pragmatic approach to her future in the sport. She emphasized the need to rest and fully recover from her injuries before considering participation in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games: "I need a bit of a rest to physically be 100% back in shape, to make sure the injuries are dealt with. I will take it from there."

Gabriella Willems, affectionately known as "Gaby," was born on July 1, 1997, in Liège, Belgium, and currently resides in Barchon. She represents Judo Club Andrimont and is coached by Cedric Taymans nationally and Raffaele Parlati at the club level. Willems is multilingual, speaking English, French, and Italian, which has undoubtedly contributed to her success on the international stage.

Willems' road to the bronze medal in Paris was marked by a series of impressive victories. She defeated Maria Perez of Puerto Rico, Elisavet Teltsidou of Greece, and Miriam Butkereit of Germany in the elimination rounds. In the repechage contest, she overcame France's Marie Eve Gahie before clinching the bronze against Van Dijke to whom she lost five times before. Her resilience and skill have earned her a well-deserved place among the elite in judo, bringing pride and joy to Belgian (and Italian) judo fans.