Former Paris winner Matthias Casse starts with new coach Van Tichelt

Belgian top fighter Matthias Casse been seen at training camps in Belgium and Austria and it was clear he was preparing for something. That something is this weekend’s Grand Slam of Paris.

The 2021 world champion is still only 27 despite a career that contains every medal there is and feels like that of an impressive veteran. He’s in great shape and at his first event since the Games he will be the number one seed in Paris. Casse: “I will always come to win. I have been training since November after a break and I found the hunger to win medals again. I’ve had good results in Paris but the last competition was dissapointing obviously, but gradually I found the motivation to fight again. I have a new coach in Dirk van Tichelt, I trained with him, fought with him, I know him for many years, so there is a good spirit and I look forward to fighting in Paris again.”
Two names below him are more likely than the rest to offer a credible title dispute: Joonhwan Lee (KOR) and Yoshito Hojo (JPN). Lee has two world medals, an Olympic bronze and is afraid of no-one but staggeringly he is still only 22. Hojo has only fought at three IJF World Judo Tour events but he won two of them and likes his chances of a third medal at this level.
The title defender won’t be worrying about meeting anyone though. He will do as Casse always does; he will work and train and prepare exactly as any professional should, always the archetypal athlete and judoka, a blueprint for juniors looking for a role model.