Ugo Legrand retires from highest level judo

Ugo Legrand has announced to retire from judo with immediate effect. The 2012 European champion and 2012 Olympic bronze medallist cannot be happier today he wrote on his facebook. 'Ugo' won an Olympic medal, two World Championships medals and three European medals among many career highlights.

“I do this post today to officially announce the end of my long high-level career. And yes, already 10 years I returned at INSEP, I can tell you they have gone super fast!

I make this choice today because, knowing the details that demand the highest level in the labor level of self-denial and self-sacrifice, I do not feel capable of providing those daily efforts.

I had this dream of being Olympic champion, I have only been medallist but believe me this medal and this career usually completely filled me with happiness. I cannot be happier today.

The end of this high level is now. I clearly state "the highest level" because judo I won’t stop and I will never stop. Judo will stay in every beat of my heart. Judo is a virus and contaminated many of you.

I plan to stay close to you and available to share all that I have learned throughout my career.

Feel free to continue to send your personal messages. I will try to answer.

Thank you very much for the support and love that you gave me, I will not forget.”

Ugo Legrand is just 26 years. Ten years ago he started with a humble international career being bronze medallist at the European Cadet Championships in Salzburg (AUT). Via a French national junior title he participated at the European Junior Championships and won bronze in 2006, and silver one year later, followed by gold in 2008, an example of persistence. That same year Legrand won the World title for Juniors in 2008 followed by the European U23 title in 2009 in a new category U73kg.

From that moment he was ready for the senior events and participated at the Grand Slam Paris and won European bronze in Vienna. He won the Grand Prix in Qingdao and in 2011 he won bronze medals at the Grand Slam Paris and at the World Championships in Paris.

In Chelyabinsk in 2012 he won the European title and was one of the favourites for the Olympic title in London, he won bronze when he was 23. He won silver in 2013 at the World Championships in Rio against Shohei Ono and continued with European silver in 2014. Today he announced his surprising retirement.

The Grand of Tashkent this weekend was his last event at top level.