David Douillet
Encyclopedia
David Douillet (dujɛ; born 17 February 1969) is a French judoka and politician.
Douillet was born in the city of Rouen
. Standing at 1.90 meters (6'3") and weighing 125 kilograms (276 lbs), he won the judo heavyweight gold medals in the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games in Atlanta and Sydney. He also gained four world titles and a European crown. These achievements make him one of the most decorated judoka in history. The size of David Douillet (1 m 90 and more than 120 kg in his period of competition) classified him in the heavyweight division. After finishing his sporting career, he maintained his popularity by engaging with Bernadette Chirac
in the charity “Operation Yellow pieces" (:fr:Opération Pièces Jaunes). He also became a consulting sportsman for Canal+
.
He was elected deputy to the French National Assembly on 18 October 2009 and on September 26, 2011 became the new Sports Minister.
. Having exceptional physical size for someone his age (1,80 m and 80 kg), he was instructed by Jacques Lemaître who taught him the rudiments of the sport. Quickly becoming attracted to the Japanese martial art, he distinguished himself on the tatamis, and thanks to his school results, integrated the study of the sport at the Victor school, and Helene Basch, near the University of Rennes. In 1986, when the judoka was 17, he was noticed during a demonstration by Jean-Luc Rougé who brought him into INSEP (National institute of sport and physical education).
Consequently, the Norman youth could devote himself to his passion, while continuing his education in the Paris region, Maisons-Alfort
, and involving himself at the INSEP facility of Bois de Vincennes
, the côterie of the best French judokas. There, he met his idol Fabien Canu, double world champion in 1987 and 1989. With strength and drive, Douillet obtained his first awards in his age class. In 1988, he became French junior champion, then obtained fifth place at the European championships. Rising again to the top of the national standings in 1989, he captured the European bronze medal in Athens
, again as a junior.
, where he finished in third place, a real achievement for a 22-year-old at his first selection. A few weeks later, he disputed the world championships, where he earned two medals. At the beginning of 1992, he successfully defended his national title in the heavyweight category. Selected for the European Championships
, which were held in Paris, in May 1992, he shone in a decisive competition obtaining a qualification for the Olympic Games
, in Barcelona
, which took place in July of the same year: during these European championships, he obtained the bronze medal, synonymous with an Olympic ticket for Spain. He faced a hard bracket during the Olympic tournament with the German Henry Stöhr
(Olympic vice-champion in 1988), and the Japanese Naoya Ogawa
(quadruple world champion). Not succeeding in carrying a frank attack on the Frenchman, Stöhr, neutralized, was disqualified for uncombativeness. However, a movement of the legs by Ogawa, in the next fight, put Douillet ippon, and the French judoka out for the gold medal race. He could, however, still hope for bronze. Facing the Cuban Franck Moreno Garcia, in the bout for third place, the Frenchman imposed himself, thanks to a movement of legs realized a few seconds into the period. The judoka won the bronze medal at not yet 23 years old.
, that the French judoka hoped to carry out a winning performance. Having defeated several experienced judokas, like the Polish Rafał Kubacki, he finally beat the Olympic champion and champion of Europe David Khakhaleishvili
, then ranked #1 in the world and logical favourite of the tournament. He then took his revenge on the Georgian
who, a few months earlier, had beaten him at the European championships. Thanks to this title acquired at 24 years, he becomes the first French world champion in this weight class, regarded by some as the premier category of judo. It is in this same weight class that he gained his first European title the following year in the 1994 European Judo Championships
at Gdansk
, Poland, by defeating Rafał Kubacki in the final bout.
in Chiba
, Japan constituted an obligatory preparatory stage to participate in the American olympics. A good performance being a great step towards an Olympic medal, David Douillet was planning to defend his world title gained two years earlier in Canada. But this time, he competed at the same time in his weight class (heavyweight, in +95 kg) and in the open category (a category without weight limit). In the first, the Frenchman made a display of his class, by winning each of his fights by ippon. Having beaten the Japanese quadruple world champion Naoya Ogawa
, then the Spaniard Ernesto Pérez
in the semi-final, he finally triumphed over the German Frank Möller
by ippon, after less than 2 minutes of fighting, and retained his title. Three days later, Douillet repeated his performance in the open category, by beating in the final the Russian Sergei Kossorotov by an pin. Thanks to the heavyweight title, he became the second Frenchman to preserve his world title after Fabien Canu in 1980, and placed himself as the legitimate favourite for the Olympic Games. Furthermore, with his double win, David Douillet entered the history books of judo, becoming the third judoka to carry out this exploit after Yasuhiro Yamashita
in 1981 and Naoya Ogawa
in 1989. Carrying out this exploit in Japan, and equaling the performances of two native stars, made David Douillet an instant icon in Japan.
, the Luxembourger Müller, and the Austrian Krieger. The Frenchman then fought the semi-final against the Japanese Naoya Ogawa
, the same judoka whom he had beaten, at the same stage of the Olympic tournament of Barcelona, four years earlier. This tight fight, styled as the "final before the final" by the French, was won by Douillet, who punched his ticket for the Olympic final against the Spaniard Ernesto Pérez Lobo. Against a judoka that he had already overcome during the last world championships, the world champion took the contest in hand, and, thanks to an Uchi-mata (mowing by the interior of the thigh), obtained an irreversible advantage which enabled him to take the Olympic title. Thus, he became the first French judoka to win the gold medal in the reigning category of judo, and the fourth Olympic champion to do it within all categories. During the award ceremony it was the Dutch Anton Geesink
, Olympic champion in 1964, who gave the medal to Douillet.
Thus, he returned gradually to his ideal shape (approximately 125 kg) and joined again the competition, at the time of the Mediterranean Games
, which took place in June 1997 in Bari
, Italy. He made a good show and obtained a medal by defeating the European champion, Selim Tataroğlu
. More than this victory, it was the prospect of the world championships, organized in Paris, which intensified Douillet's return to the foreground. The judoka carried out serious preparations in hopes of obtaining a fourth world title. In the competition, Douillet qualified for the final by defeating once again the Turkish Selim Tataroğlu in the semi-finals. In the finals, he beat the Japanese Shinichi Shinohara
by disqualification. This victory, giving him a third world crown (fourth with the Open title in 1995), tied Douillet with another Japanese athlete, Yasuhiro Yamashita
, and closed a difficult post-Atlanta period marked not only by his motorbike accident, but also by financial problems related to bad investments. However, a pain in the shoulder forced him to withdraw once again from the tatamis after the world championship in Paris, and in August 1998, he was the victim of a distortion of the wrist, and withdrew from competition for several months.
in Bratislava
. He had a sub-par performance there, taking only seventh place, letting his main competitors gain the podium. Nevertheless, the Frenchman started his preparation for a historic second Olympic title at the Olympic Games of 2000 in Sydney. The principal stage of this preparation was the participation in the 1999 World Judo Championships
in Birmingham. However, David Douillet underwent a large disappointment, being forced to withdraw two days before the beginning of the competition because of a groin strain. The months that followed were troubled by new physical problems with his back. While this was not the ideal way to prepare for his return, one and half months before the Olympic event he participated in a competition in Bonn
, where he was beaten in the semi-final by the German Frank Möller
and took third place. This was a minor but essential competition in his road back to high-level, a comeback considered encouraging by his trainer Marc Alexandre
, who did not entirely hide his concerns, however, due to the delay in his preparation caused by David's repetitive injuries.
.
On 22 September 2000, the judo tournament started, and David Douillet entered the heavyweight competition to try to become the most titled Judoka in history. After winning his first match on a no-show from the Venezuelan Douglas Cardozo (he was not present at the weighing before the competition), the Frenchman faced the Turk Selim Tataroğlu
, recent vice-champion of Europe (Open), and multiple medal-holder in the World Judo Championships
. The Frenchman, however, beat him by ippon thanks to an o-uchi-gari (great interior mowing), and qualified for the quarter-finals where he faced the Belgian Harry van Barneveld
, bronze medal winner four years before in Atlanta. Again Douillet passed this round thanks to the disqualification of his adversary (hansoku-make). Next, he went to fight against the Estonian Indrek Pertelson
with a shot at the final. Pertelson, the world vice-champion, was quickly dispatched by the Frenchman on an ippon in less one minute.
In the final, his adversary was the Japanese Shinichi Shinohara
, double champion of the world in 1999. That game is seen as a revenge of the 1997 World Judo Championships
finals, where Douillet had beaten the Japanese heavyweight. The confrontation between the two judokas was extremely tactical, and it was only after one and a half minutes that the Frenchman took the lead thanks to a mowing by the interior of the thigh (uchi-subdued). The referee decision allotted a yuko to Douillet, a decision disputed by Shinohara, who argued that he dodged and then countered the Frenchman. However, the head referee was not moved, and Shinohara did not manage to make up for this lost time. After five minutes of fight, David Douillet was finally able to win his second Olympic gold medal. This was also a victory for the Judo history books as he became the fighter with the most international titles. With six major international titles (2 Olympic titles, 4 world titles), he passed the Japanese Yasuhiro Yamashita
(1 Olympic title, 4 world titles) who won his titles in the seventies. The Olympic tournament in Sydney, however, marked the end of the road for the French judoka, who immediately announced his retirement after the competition.
won his third consecutive title in 2004
in Athens. However, he retains a dominating place at the top of the world's judo. He is one of the five male judokas (except Nomura) to have gained two Olympic titles, but thanks to his bronze medal obtained in 1992 in Barcelona
, he is the only one besides Nomura and Angelo Parisi
to have gained three Olympic medals. With regard to the World Judo Championships
, David Douillet is the most titled judoka along with three other Japanese athletes. He is also one of the only two judokas who achieved triple world champion titles in the heavyweight class, the other being Yasuhiro Yamashita
. This last achievement puts the Frenchman in competition for the "title" of greatest judoka in history. However, as a tie breaker, the second Olympic medal in Sydney allows Douillet to surpass the heavyweight Japanese.
. This recognition is all the more remarkable because it came ahead of both Brahim Asloum
, the first French Olympic champion of boxing since 1936, and the leader of the France national football team
Zinédine Zidane
, who just won the European championship.
In 2005, he was one of the flag carriers for the unsuccessful bid of Paris 2012 for the organization of the 2012 Summer Olympics
. David Douillet also fought against doping and joined, in 1999, the council of martial arts and prevention against doping. Recognized on the international scene, he is one of the forty sporting personalities, members of the Academy, of the Laureus World Awards' Sports since its founding in 1999.
couple, he became godfather of the charity operation "Operation Yellow pieces" with then First French lady Bernadette Chirac
. Each year David "drives" an SNCF TGV La Poste
to go and collect funds for his "operation pieces jaunes", and he is the main sponsor, via public appearances, for this operation. In 1996 he started the foundation of the hospitals of Paris to improve the daily life of hospitalized children and teenagers. In addition, after his second Olympic title, he was named a UNESCO ambassador for youth in 2001. His medals and his generosity are held in high regard amongst the French, who ranked him the second most popular personality in France. Sometimes invited onto television programs, the judoka has his puppet with the Les Guignols de l'info
(News Puppets), a popular satirical broadcast on Canal+
.
where he is regularly present as a sporting consultant when international Judo events are broadcast. He also participates in the preparation of rebroadcasts of events like the Olympic Games, or the 24 Hours of Le Mans
, on premium cable television. Moreover, he appears occasionally in commercials. While he is focusing right now on the business side of his career,, he has not entirely given up on judo: he was named to the management committee of the French federation of judo in 2005.
departement. He won the election with 52,10% of ballots.
In the French regional elections, 2010
, he was elected in the Île-de-France
Regional Council.
On 29th June 2011, he was appointed Secretary of State for Abroad French nationals in the François Fillon
Cabinet. On 26th September 2011, he was appointed Minister of Sports.
Douillet was born in the city of Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
. Standing at 1.90 meters (6'3") and weighing 125 kilograms (276 lbs), he won the judo heavyweight gold medals in the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games in Atlanta and Sydney. He also gained four world titles and a European crown. These achievements make him one of the most decorated judoka in history. The size of David Douillet (1 m 90 and more than 120 kg in his period of competition) classified him in the heavyweight division. After finishing his sporting career, he maintained his popularity by engaging with Bernadette Chirac
Bernadette Chirac
Bernadette Thérèse Marie Chirac is a French politician and the wife of the former President Jacques Chirac....
in the charity “Operation Yellow pieces" (:fr:Opération Pièces Jaunes). He also became a consulting sportsman for Canal+
Canal+
Canal+ is a French premium pay television channel launched in 1984. It is 80% owned by the Canal+ Group, which in turn is owned by Vivendi SA. The channel broadcasts several kinds of programming, mostly encrypted...
.
He was elected deputy to the French National Assembly on 18 October 2009 and on September 26, 2011 became the new Sports Minister.
Early career
David Douillet began judo at 11, in the commune of Neufchâtel-in-Bray, near his birthplace of RouenRouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
. Having exceptional physical size for someone his age (1,80 m and 80 kg), he was instructed by Jacques Lemaître who taught him the rudiments of the sport. Quickly becoming attracted to the Japanese martial art, he distinguished himself on the tatamis, and thanks to his school results, integrated the study of the sport at the Victor school, and Helene Basch, near the University of Rennes. In 1986, when the judoka was 17, he was noticed during a demonstration by Jean-Luc Rougé who brought him into INSEP (National institute of sport and physical education).
Consequently, the Norman youth could devote himself to his passion, while continuing his education in the Paris region, Maisons-Alfort
Maisons-Alfort
Maisons-Alfort is a commune in the southeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.Maisons-Alfort is famous as the location of the National Veterinary School of Alfort, the most renowned veterinary medical school in France...
, and involving himself at the INSEP facility of Bois de Vincennes
Bois de Vincennes
The Bois de Vincennes is a park in the English landscape manner to the east of Paris. The park is named after the nearby town of Vincennes....
, the côterie of the best French judokas. There, he met his idol Fabien Canu, double world champion in 1987 and 1989. With strength and drive, Douillet obtained his first awards in his age class. In 1988, he became French junior champion, then obtained fifth place at the European championships. Rising again to the top of the national standings in 1989, he captured the European bronze medal in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, again as a junior.
Among the world elite
After a period of adaptation, he won his first Senior French championship in 1991, imposing himself in the final against Georges Mathonnet, another hope for French judo, born two years before Douillet. Thanks to this first national title, David qualified for his first senior European championships in PraguePrague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, where he finished in third place, a real achievement for a 22-year-old at his first selection. A few weeks later, he disputed the world championships, where he earned two medals. At the beginning of 1992, he successfully defended his national title in the heavyweight category. Selected for the European Championships
1992 European Judo Championships
The 1992 European Judo Championships were the 3rd edition of the European Judo Championships, and were held in Paris, France on 10 May 1992.- Men :- Women :- Medal table :- References :*...
, which were held in Paris, in May 1992, he shone in a decisive competition obtaining a qualification for the Olympic Games
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
, in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, which took place in July of the same year: during these European championships, he obtained the bronze medal, synonymous with an Olympic ticket for Spain. He faced a hard bracket during the Olympic tournament with the German Henry Stöhr
Henry Stöhr
Henry Stöhr is an East German judoka, who competed for the SC Dynamo Hoppegarten/ Sportvereinigung Dynamo.He was born in Reichenbach.Stöhr won medals at international competitions included over 15 national titles....
(Olympic vice-champion in 1988), and the Japanese Naoya Ogawa
Naoya Ogawa
Naoya Ogawa is a Japanese former world judo champion, Olympic silver medalist, professional wrestler and mixed martial artist...
(quadruple world champion). Not succeeding in carrying a frank attack on the Frenchman, Stöhr, neutralized, was disqualified for uncombativeness. However, a movement of the legs by Ogawa, in the next fight, put Douillet ippon, and the French judoka out for the gold medal race. He could, however, still hope for bronze. Facing the Cuban Franck Moreno Garcia, in the bout for third place, the Frenchman imposed himself, thanks to a movement of legs realized a few seconds into the period. The judoka won the bronze medal at not yet 23 years old.
First International Games
In search of confirmation after his Olympic bronze medal, David Douillet ambitiously approached his second participation in a world championship. It was in Hamilton, OntarioHamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, that the French judoka hoped to carry out a winning performance. Having defeated several experienced judokas, like the Polish Rafał Kubacki, he finally beat the Olympic champion and champion of Europe David Khakhaleishvili
David Khakhaleishvili
David Khakhaleishvili is a retired heavyweight Georgian judoka.He was expected to defend his heavyweight Olympic title at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia in a highly anticipated match against the reigning world champion, David Douillet...
, then ranked #1 in the world and logical favourite of the tournament. He then took his revenge on the Georgian
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
who, a few months earlier, had beaten him at the European championships. Thanks to this title acquired at 24 years, he becomes the first French world champion in this weight class, regarded by some as the premier category of judo. It is in this same weight class that he gained his first European title the following year in the 1994 European Judo Championships
1994 European Judo Championships
The 1994 European Judo Championships were the 5th edition of the European Judo Championships, and were held in Gdańsk, Poland on 22 May 1994.- Men :- Women :- Medal table :- 60 kg :- 65 kg :- 71 kg :- 78 kg :- 86 kg :- 95 kg :...
at Gdansk
Gdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
, Poland, by defeating Rafał Kubacki in the final bout.
Chiba 1995: for the double
In view of the Olympic Games in Atlanta in the United States, the 1995 World Judo Championships1995 World Judo Championships
The 1995 World Judo Championships were the 19th edition of the World Judo Championships, and were held in Chiba, Japan in 1995.-Men:-Women:- Medals table :-60 kg:-65 kg:-71 kg:-78 kg:-86 kg:-95 kg:-+95 kg:-Open class:-48 kg:...
in Chiba
Chiba, Chiba
is the capital city of Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is located approximately 40 km east of the center of Tokyo on Tokyo Bay. Chiba City became a government designated city in 1992. Its population as of 2008 is approximately 960,000....
, Japan constituted an obligatory preparatory stage to participate in the American olympics. A good performance being a great step towards an Olympic medal, David Douillet was planning to defend his world title gained two years earlier in Canada. But this time, he competed at the same time in his weight class (heavyweight, in +95 kg) and in the open category (a category without weight limit). In the first, the Frenchman made a display of his class, by winning each of his fights by ippon. Having beaten the Japanese quadruple world champion Naoya Ogawa
Naoya Ogawa
Naoya Ogawa is a Japanese former world judo champion, Olympic silver medalist, professional wrestler and mixed martial artist...
, then the Spaniard Ernesto Pérez
Ernesto Pérez
Ernesto Pérez is a Spanish judoka.-Achievements:-References:* on JudoInside.com...
in the semi-final, he finally triumphed over the German Frank Möller
Frank Möller
Frank Möller is a German judoka.He won a bronze medal in the heavyweight division at the 1996 Summer Olympics.-Achievements:-References:* on JudoInside.com*...
by ippon, after less than 2 minutes of fighting, and retained his title. Three days later, Douillet repeated his performance in the open category, by beating in the final the Russian Sergei Kossorotov by an pin. Thanks to the heavyweight title, he became the second Frenchman to preserve his world title after Fabien Canu in 1980, and placed himself as the legitimate favourite for the Olympic Games. Furthermore, with his double win, David Douillet entered the history books of judo, becoming the third judoka to carry out this exploit after Yasuhiro Yamashita
Yasuhiro Yamashita
is one of the most successful judo competitors of all time. He currently works as an instructor or advisor for numerous organizations, including Tokai University, the International Judo Federation, and the...
in 1981 and Naoya Ogawa
Naoya Ogawa
Naoya Ogawa is a Japanese former world judo champion, Olympic silver medalist, professional wrestler and mixed martial artist...
in 1989. Carrying out this exploit in Japan, and equaling the performances of two native stars, made David Douillet an instant icon in Japan.
Olympic title
Logically selected for the 1996 Summer Olympics, organized in Atlanta, he was the favourite thanks to the three world titles obtained since his first Olympic participation in 1992. Douillet passed the first matches without difficulties by eliminating the Belgian Van BarneveldHarry Van Barneveld
Harry Van Barneveld is a former Belgian judoka. At the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta he won the bronze medal in the heavyweight category.- References :...
, the Luxembourger Müller, and the Austrian Krieger. The Frenchman then fought the semi-final against the Japanese Naoya Ogawa
Naoya Ogawa
Naoya Ogawa is a Japanese former world judo champion, Olympic silver medalist, professional wrestler and mixed martial artist...
, the same judoka whom he had beaten, at the same stage of the Olympic tournament of Barcelona, four years earlier. This tight fight, styled as the "final before the final" by the French, was won by Douillet, who punched his ticket for the Olympic final against the Spaniard Ernesto Pérez Lobo. Against a judoka that he had already overcome during the last world championships, the world champion took the contest in hand, and, thanks to an Uchi-mata (mowing by the interior of the thigh), obtained an irreversible advantage which enabled him to take the Olympic title. Thus, he became the first French judoka to win the gold medal in the reigning category of judo, and the fourth Olympic champion to do it within all categories. During the award ceremony it was the Dutch Anton Geesink
Anton Geesink
Antonius "Anton" Johannes Geesink was a Dutch 10th-dan judoka from Utrecht. He was a three-time World Judo Champion , Olympic Gold Medalist and won 21 European championships...
, Olympic champion in 1964, who gave the medal to Douillet.
Between victories and injuries
On 30 September 1996, two months after the Olympic title captured in Atlanta, Douillet was seriously injured in the calf and the right shoulder in a motorbike accident. The long convalescence, and eight months of rehabilitation, actually reinvigorated the Frenchman and gave him new motivation after his gold medal:This accident rekindled my desire. After Atlanta, I had the impression of having made it. I had gained a lot… Then, after the accident, I had a new challenge: to become again first an athlete, then a performing athlete.
Thus, he returned gradually to his ideal shape (approximately 125 kg) and joined again the competition, at the time of the Mediterranean Games
Judo at the 1997 Mediterranean Games
The Judo competition at the 1997 Mediterranean Games was held in Bari, Italy from 24 June 1997.-Men:-Women:- Medal table :-References:*...
, which took place in June 1997 in Bari
Bari
Bari is the capital city of the province of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, in Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy after Naples, and is well known as a port and university city, as well as the city of Saint Nicholas...
, Italy. He made a good show and obtained a medal by defeating the European champion, Selim Tataroğlu
Selim Tataroglu
Selim Tataroğlu is a Turkish judoka.-Achievements:-References:* on JudoInside.com...
. More than this victory, it was the prospect of the world championships, organized in Paris, which intensified Douillet's return to the foreground. The judoka carried out serious preparations in hopes of obtaining a fourth world title. In the competition, Douillet qualified for the final by defeating once again the Turkish Selim Tataroğlu in the semi-finals. In the finals, he beat the Japanese Shinichi Shinohara
Shinichi Shinohara
is a former jūdōka and winner of the gold medal at the 1999 World Judo Championships in Birmingham. To Shinohara's disappointment, French champion David Douillet did not compete at Birmingham due to back injury; Shinohara was quoted as saying, "Even though I lifted the double crown at the worlds,...
by disqualification. This victory, giving him a third world crown (fourth with the Open title in 1995), tied Douillet with another Japanese athlete, Yasuhiro Yamashita
Yasuhiro Yamashita
is one of the most successful judo competitors of all time. He currently works as an instructor or advisor for numerous organizations, including Tokai University, the International Judo Federation, and the...
, and closed a difficult post-Atlanta period marked not only by his motorbike accident, but also by financial problems related to bad investments. However, a pain in the shoulder forced him to withdraw once again from the tatamis after the world championship in Paris, and in August 1998, he was the victim of a distortion of the wrist, and withdrew from competition for several months.
Difficult return to competition
In spite of almost two years of inactivity in competition, he was selected for the 1999 European Judo Championships1999 European Judo Championships
The 1999 European Judo Championships were the 10th edition of the European Judo Championships, and were held in Bratislava, Slovakia from 22 May to 23 May 1999.-Men:-Women:- Medals table :-60 kg:-66 kg:-73 kg:-81 kg:-90 kg:-100 kg:...
in Bratislava
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
. He had a sub-par performance there, taking only seventh place, letting his main competitors gain the podium. Nevertheless, the Frenchman started his preparation for a historic second Olympic title at the Olympic Games of 2000 in Sydney. The principal stage of this preparation was the participation in the 1999 World Judo Championships
1999 World Judo Championships
The 1999 World Judo Championships were the 21st edition of the World Judo Championships, and were held in Birmingham, England in 1999.-Men:-Women:- Medals table :-60 kg:-66 kg:-73 kg:-81 kg:-90 kg:-100 kg:-+100 kg:-Open class:...
in Birmingham. However, David Douillet underwent a large disappointment, being forced to withdraw two days before the beginning of the competition because of a groin strain. The months that followed were troubled by new physical problems with his back. While this was not the ideal way to prepare for his return, one and half months before the Olympic event he participated in a competition in Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
, where he was beaten in the semi-final by the German Frank Möller
Frank Möller
Frank Möller is a German judoka.He won a bronze medal in the heavyweight division at the 1996 Summer Olympics.-Achievements:-References:* on JudoInside.com*...
and took third place. This was a minor but essential competition in his road back to high-level, a comeback considered encouraging by his trainer Marc Alexandre
Marc Alexandre
Marc Alexandre is a retired judoka from France, who represented his native country at two consecutive Summer Olympics...
, who did not entirely hide his concerns, however, due to the delay in his preparation caused by David's repetitive injuries.
Historic double
In spite of the doubts concerning his physical condition, David Douillet was present in Sydney, Australia, for the opening ceremonies of the 2000 Summer Olympics. Even more, the judoka was nominated to be the flag carrier of the French delegation by the CNOSF (Olympic and sporting National committee French), thus succeeding the athlete Marie-José PérecMarie-José Pérec
Marie-José Pérec is a French athlete, specialised in the 200 and 400 m, and a triple Olympic champion....
.
On 22 September 2000, the judo tournament started, and David Douillet entered the heavyweight competition to try to become the most titled Judoka in history. After winning his first match on a no-show from the Venezuelan Douglas Cardozo (he was not present at the weighing before the competition), the Frenchman faced the Turk Selim Tataroğlu
Selim Tataroglu
Selim Tataroğlu is a Turkish judoka.-Achievements:-References:* on JudoInside.com...
, recent vice-champion of Europe (Open), and multiple medal-holder in the World Judo Championships
World Judo Championships
The World Judo Championships are the highest level of international judo competition, along with the Olympic judo competition. The championships are held once every year by the International Judo Federation, and qualified judoka compete in their respective categories as representatives of their...
. The Frenchman, however, beat him by ippon thanks to an o-uchi-gari (great interior mowing), and qualified for the quarter-finals where he faced the Belgian Harry van Barneveld
Harry Van Barneveld
Harry Van Barneveld is a former Belgian judoka. At the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta he won the bronze medal in the heavyweight category.- References :...
, bronze medal winner four years before in Atlanta. Again Douillet passed this round thanks to the disqualification of his adversary (hansoku-make). Next, he went to fight against the Estonian Indrek Pertelson
Indrek Pertelson
Indrek Pertelson is an Estonian judoka. At the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics he won bronze medals in the men's Heavyweight category. He was born in Tallinn.-References:*...
with a shot at the final. Pertelson, the world vice-champion, was quickly dispatched by the Frenchman on an ippon in less one minute.
In the final, his adversary was the Japanese Shinichi Shinohara
Shinichi Shinohara
is a former jūdōka and winner of the gold medal at the 1999 World Judo Championships in Birmingham. To Shinohara's disappointment, French champion David Douillet did not compete at Birmingham due to back injury; Shinohara was quoted as saying, "Even though I lifted the double crown at the worlds,...
, double champion of the world in 1999. That game is seen as a revenge of the 1997 World Judo Championships
1997 World Judo Championships
The 1997 World Judo Championships were the 20th edition of the World Judo Championships, and were held in Paris, France in 1997.-Men:-Women:- Medals table :-60 kg:-65 kg:-71 kg:-78 kg:-86 kg:-95 kg:-+95 kg:-Open class:-48 kg:...
finals, where Douillet had beaten the Japanese heavyweight. The confrontation between the two judokas was extremely tactical, and it was only after one and a half minutes that the Frenchman took the lead thanks to a mowing by the interior of the thigh (uchi-subdued). The referee decision allotted a yuko to Douillet, a decision disputed by Shinohara, who argued that he dodged and then countered the Frenchman. However, the head referee was not moved, and Shinohara did not manage to make up for this lost time. After five minutes of fight, David Douillet was finally able to win his second Olympic gold medal. This was also a victory for the Judo history books as he became the fighter with the most international titles. With six major international titles (2 Olympic titles, 4 world titles), he passed the Japanese Yasuhiro Yamashita
Yasuhiro Yamashita
is one of the most successful judo competitors of all time. He currently works as an instructor or advisor for numerous organizations, including Tokai University, the International Judo Federation, and the...
(1 Olympic title, 4 world titles) who won his titles in the seventies. The Olympic tournament in Sydney, however, marked the end of the road for the French judoka, who immediately announced his retirement after the competition.
On judo
The French judoka is no longer the record Olympic title-holder, since the Japanese Tadahiro NomuraTadahiro Nomura
is one of the most famous judo competitors in Japan. He is the only judoka in the world who has won three Olympic gold medals in a row, all in the extra lightweight division.-Biography:...
won his third consecutive title in 2004
Judo at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Judo at the 2004 Summer Olympics took place in the Ano Liossia Olympic Hall and featured 368 judoka competing for 14 gold medals with seven different weight categories in both the men's and women's competitions. Japan dominated the event by taking 8 gold and 2 silver medals.Gold and silver medals...
in Athens. However, he retains a dominating place at the top of the world's judo. He is one of the five male judokas (except Nomura) to have gained two Olympic titles, but thanks to his bronze medal obtained in 1992 in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, he is the only one besides Nomura and Angelo Parisi
Angelo Parisi
Angelo Parisi is a French judoka and olympic champion. He won a gold medal in the heavyweight division at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. At his Olympic debut in 1972 he represented Great Britain.- References :*...
to have gained three Olympic medals. With regard to the World Judo Championships
World Judo Championships
The World Judo Championships are the highest level of international judo competition, along with the Olympic judo competition. The championships are held once every year by the International Judo Federation, and qualified judoka compete in their respective categories as representatives of their...
, David Douillet is the most titled judoka along with three other Japanese athletes. He is also one of the only two judokas who achieved triple world champion titles in the heavyweight class, the other being Yasuhiro Yamashita
Yasuhiro Yamashita
is one of the most successful judo competitors of all time. He currently works as an instructor or advisor for numerous organizations, including Tokai University, the International Judo Federation, and the...
. This last achievement puts the Frenchman in competition for the "title" of greatest judoka in history. However, as a tie breaker, the second Olympic medal in Sydney allows Douillet to surpass the heavyweight Japanese.
On French sport
Thanks to his second Olympic title acquired in Sydney, he was proclaimed for the second time in 2000 Champion of the champions français by the French sporting daily newspaper L'ÉquipeL'Équipe
L'Équipe is a French nationwide daily newspaper devoted to sports, owned by Éditions Philippe Amaury. The paper is noted for coverage of football , rugby, motorsports and cycling...
. This recognition is all the more remarkable because it came ahead of both Brahim Asloum
Brahim Asloum
Brahim Asloum born January 31, 1979 in Bourgoin-Jallieu, Isère) is a French boxer. He won the Light Flyweight Gold medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics.Asloum is the former WBA light flyweight world champion.- Olympic results :...
, the first French Olympic champion of boxing since 1936, and the leader of the France national football team
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
Zinédine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Yazid Zidane is a retired French footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Zidane was a leading figure of a generation of French players that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship...
, who just won the European championship.
In 2005, he was one of the flag carriers for the unsuccessful bid of Paris 2012 for the organization of the 2012 Summer Olympics
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
. David Douillet also fought against doping and joined, in 1999, the council of martial arts and prevention against doping. Recognized on the international scene, he is one of the forty sporting personalities, members of the Academy, of the Laureus World Awards' Sports since its founding in 1999.
A popular sportsman
Generous as a sportsman, David Douillet put his popularity at the service of charitable operations. Close to the ChiracChirac
Chirac may refer to:* Jacques Chirac, the President of the French Republic.* Bernadette Chirac, the wife of President Jacques Chirac** Their two daughters, Claude Chirac and Laurence...
couple, he became godfather of the charity operation "Operation Yellow pieces" with then First French lady Bernadette Chirac
Bernadette Chirac
Bernadette Thérèse Marie Chirac is a French politician and the wife of the former President Jacques Chirac....
. Each year David "drives" an SNCF TGV La Poste
SNCF TGV La Poste
The SNCF TGV La Poste trains were built by Alstom between 1978–1986. These TGV units are essentially TGV Sud-Est trainsets that are modified for transporting mail for the French postal carrier La Poste. The top speed is , making them the fastest freight trains in the world.5 half-trainsets were...
to go and collect funds for his "operation pieces jaunes", and he is the main sponsor, via public appearances, for this operation. In 1996 he started the foundation of the hospitals of Paris to improve the daily life of hospitalized children and teenagers. In addition, after his second Olympic title, he was named a UNESCO ambassador for youth in 2001. His medals and his generosity are held in high regard amongst the French, who ranked him the second most popular personality in France. Sometimes invited onto television programs, the judoka has his puppet with the Les Guignols de l'info
Les Guignols de l'info
Les Guignols de l'info is a satirical latex puppet show broadcast on Canal+, a French subscription-based television channel. Hosted by a puppet facsimile of TF1 news anchor Patrick Poivre d'Arvor, Les Guignols is similar to the 1984–1996 British show Spitting Image...
(News Puppets), a popular satirical broadcast on Canal+
Canal+
Canal+ is a French premium pay television channel launched in 1984. It is 80% owned by the Canal+ Group, which in turn is owned by Vivendi SA. The channel broadcasts several kinds of programming, mostly encrypted...
.
Retirement
Since the end of his sporting career, David Douillet has tried to manage his image as well as possible. This image was put to the test when the company Travelsport, a travel agency in which David Douillet was a shareholder, filed for bankruptcy in 1997. Victim of a swindle, David Douillet quickly put this embarrassing affair to rest by gaining his fourth world title a few weeks later. Thanks to his second Olympic title, the Frenchman was able to leverage his heightened popular image into lucrative business deals. After a short passage through the television production companies, David Douillet now lends his name to several brands (sporting material, working goods, camp-site or excursion equipment), as well as kimonos under the signature DD (mark), and even recently to a judo simulation video game, David Douillet judo. On television, after a short passage on French television, he joined Canal+Canal+
Canal+ is a French premium pay television channel launched in 1984. It is 80% owned by the Canal+ Group, which in turn is owned by Vivendi SA. The channel broadcasts several kinds of programming, mostly encrypted...
where he is regularly present as a sporting consultant when international Judo events are broadcast. He also participates in the preparation of rebroadcasts of events like the Olympic Games, or the 24 Hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
, on premium cable television. Moreover, he appears occasionally in commercials. While he is focusing right now on the business side of his career,, he has not entirely given up on judo: he was named to the management committee of the French federation of judo in 2005.
Politics
David Douillet ran to be elect member of the National Assembly of France, in a by-election on 11 and 18 October 2009, in the 12th constituency of YvelinesYvelines
Yvelines is a French department in the region of Île-de-France.-History:Yvelines was created from the western part of the defunct department of Seine-et-Oise on 1 January 1968 in accordance with a law passed on 10 January 1964 and a décret d'application from 26 February 1965.It gained the...
departement. He won the election with 52,10% of ballots.
In the French regional elections, 2010
French regional elections, 2010
Regional elections were held in France on 14 and 21 March 2010. At stake were the presidencies of each of France's 26 régions, which, though they do not have legislative autonomy, manage sizable budgets....
, he was elected in the Île-de-France
Île-de-France (région)
Île-de-France is the wealthiest and most populated of the twenty-two administrative regions of France, composed mostly of the Paris metropolitan area....
Regional Council.
On 29th June 2011, he was appointed Secretary of State for Abroad French nationals in the François Fillon
François Fillon
François Charles Armand Fillon is the Prime Minister of France. He was appointed to that office by President Nicolas Sarkozy on 17 May 2007. He served initially until 13 November 2010 when he resigned from being prime minister before a planned cabinet reshuffle.On 14 November 2010, Sarkozy...
Cabinet. On 26th September 2011, he was appointed Minister of Sports.
Anecdotes
- David Douillet had to wait until 1997 to claim his proper Olympic medal that he won the previous year. The American organizers of the Atlanta Games had reversed the ceremonies of handing-over of the medals for the male and female competitions. Thus Dutch Anton GeesinkAnton GeesinkAntonius "Anton" Johannes Geesink was a Dutch 10th-dan judoka from Utrecht. He was a three-time World Judo Champion , Olympic Gold Medalist and won 21 European championships...
, Olympic champion of the Open category in 1964, gave to the French judoka the medal intended for the Chinese judokate Fuming Sun, Olympic champion of the women heavyweights. It was in Paris, at the time of the 1997 World Judo Championships1997 World Judo ChampionshipsThe 1997 World Judo Championships were the 20th edition of the World Judo Championships, and were held in Paris, France in 1997.-Men:-Women:- Medals table :-60 kg:-65 kg:-71 kg:-78 kg:-86 kg:-95 kg:-+95 kg:-Open class:-48 kg:...
, that the various actors were brought together once again to receive the right medals. - David Douillet has his entry in the dictionary LaroussePetit LarousseLe Petit Larousse Illustré, commonly known simply as Le Petit Larousse, is a French-language reference book first appearing in 1905 and later published in a 100th anniversary edition in 2005...
since November 1997, a rare recognition for a sportsman. The same year, the Musée GrévinMusée GrévinThe Musée Grévin is a waxwork museum in Paris located on the Grands Boulevards in the IXe arrondissement on the right bank of the Seine, at 10, Boulevard Montmartre, Paris, France. It is open daily; an admission fee is charged....
brought out a wax statue of Douillet, a first for a French judoka.
Olympic Games
- Olympic Games of 1992Judo at the 1992 Summer OlympicsThe Judo competition at the 1992 Summer Olympics was contested in fourteen weight classes, seven each for men and women. The seven men's weight classes continued to be those first used in 1980. This was the first Olympic competition to award medals to women judoka; women competed in 1988 as a...
with BarcelonaBarcelonaBarcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
(Spain):-
Bronze medal in the category of +95 kg (heavyweight).
-
- Olympic Games of 1996Judo at the 1996 Summer OlympicsThis page shows the final results of the Judo Competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.Kye Sun-Hui surprised spectators by winning gold in the women's extra-lightweight event. She had obtained a wildcard entry to the Games.-Men's events:...
with Atlanta (the United States):-
Gold Medal in the category of +95 kg (heavyweight).
-
- Olympic Games of 2000Judo at the 2000 Summer Olympics-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:-References:**...
with Sydney (Australia):- Gold Medal in the category of +100 kg (heavyweight).
-
Various
- By teams:
- World cup by teams in 1994.
- Champion of Europe by teams in 1993.
-
- In club
- Champion of Europe by team with PSG Judo in 1995.
-
- International events:
- Gold Medal with Mediterranean Plays 1997 organized with BariBariBari is the capital city of the province of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, in Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy after Naples, and is well known as a port and university city, as well as the city of Saint Nicholas...
(ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
). - Gold Medal with Plays of the Francophonie 1994 organized with Paris (France).
-
- World cup:
- 2 podiums with Tournament of Paris (3rd in 1993, 2nd in 1995).
- Championships of France:
- 2 championships of France seniors in 1991 and 1992.
-
- Juniors:
- Bronze medal in the heavyweight class (+95 kg) with l'Euro junior 198
-
External links
- Videos of David Douillet (judovision.org)