David Douillet

David Douillet , born the February 17th 1969 with Rouen, is a Judo ka French of row Kyoshi 6th daN ( Roku-daN ), rank corresponding to the belt white-red, currently in sporting retirement. Olympic double champion in 1996 and 2000, it also gained four world titles and a European crown. This prize list made of him the largest French judoka of the history and one of the largest combatants of the history of the world judo. Thanks to its physique impressive (1 m 96 and more than 120 kg in period of competition) which enabled him to be illustrated in the queen category of the judo (that of the heavy truck), David Douillet arrived to médiatiser, at the French level, a sport traditionally confined with the Japan. Its finished sporting career, its popularity does not remain less important about it being based in particular on an engagement in favor of the carritative operation of the Yellow pieces. From now on businessman, he is also consulting sportsman for Canal+.

Sporting career

Beginnings of David

David Douillet begins the judo at the 11 years age in the commune of Neufchâtel-in-Bray non-loin of his birthplace of Rouen. Having exceptional physical qualities for its age (1,80 m and 80 kg at 11 years), it follows the courses of Jacques Lemaître who teaches him the rudiments from the sport. Impassioning itself gradually for Japanese martial art, it is distinguished quickly on the tatamis, and thanks to its school results, integrates the section sport-study of the Victor college and Helene Basch of Rennes. In 1986, whereas the judoka is 17 years old, it is pointed out during a demonstration by Jean-Luc Rougé which makes him integrate INSEP (National institute of the sport and physical education).

" It exceeded already the others of a head and after having seen it on the carpet, I immediately reserved a room with the INSEP to him, the center of drive of the elite of the sport français." , Red Jean-Luc.

Consequently, the Norman young person could devote himself to his passion while continuing his schooling in Paris region. Bachelor with Houses-Alfort and involving itself in the Wood of Vincennes where seat the INSEP, it côtoie best current French judokas. Thus, it meets its god Fabien Canu, double champion of the world at the end of the years 1980.

Through drive, Douillet obtains its first rewards in its category of age. In 1988, he becomes champion of France juniors then obtains the fifth place with the championships of Europe. Posting itself again in top of the national hierarchy in 1989, it conquers the European bronze medal with Athens, always as juniors.

Soft among the world elite

After one period of adaptation, it gains its first championship of France seniors in 1991 finally while being binding vis-a-vis Georges Mathonnet, another hope of the French judo born two years before Douillet. Thanks to this first national sacring, David qualifies itself for his first championships of Europe seniors. At the time of the event with Prague, it goes up on the third walk of the podium, a real performance at only 22 years for its first selection. A few weeks later, it disputes the world soldiers where it gains two money medals. At the beginning of 1992, it preserves its national title and affirms its national sovereignty on the category of the heavy trucks. Selected to dispute the championships of Europe which are held with Paris in May 1992, it must shine in a decisive competition for obtaining a qualifcation for the Olympic Games of Barcelona which take place in July of the same year. At the time of the European test, it obtains the bronze medal, synonymous with obtaining the Olympic ticket for Spain.

At the time of the Olympic tournament, he inherits a raised course since he must face 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 French, Stöhr, neutralized, is disqualified for not-combativeness. A movement of legs of the Ogawa Japanese at the time of the following combat puts to ippon the French judoka who cannot claim any more with Olympic gold.

It can however always hope to go up on the third walk of the podium. Opposed to the Cuban Franck Moreno Garcia in this combat for the bronze medal, the French asserts himself thanks to a movement of legs realized on a few seconds of the term. The judoka obtains the bronze medal then whereas it does not have which 23 years.

World and European conquests

First international sacrings

In search of confirmation after his Olympic bronze medal, David Douillet approaches with ambition his second participation in a championship of the world. It is in the Ontario, with Hamilton, that the French judoka hopes to carry out a performance. After having drawn aside several judokas experienced like the Pole Rafał Kubacki, it finally beats the Olympic champion and champion of Europe David Khakhaleichvili, world number one and, from its prize list, logical favorite of the test. It thus takes its revenge on Géorgien which had beaten it a few months earlier with the championships of Europe. Thanks to this title acquired at 24 years, he becomes the first French world champion in this category of weight regarded by much as the queen category of the judo. It is in this same class of weight that it gains its first European title the following year in 1994 with Gdansk in Poland. At the time of the finale of this competition, it carries out a new performance while triumphing over the room Rafał Kubacki.

Chiba 1995: one doubled world history

In the optics of the Olympic Games of Atlanta in the United States, the world 1995 of Chiba in Japan constitute an obligatory stage to hope to take part in go American. A good performance being necessary for obtaining an Olympic quota, David Douillet must defend his world title aquis earlier two years in Canada. But this time, the French concourre at the same time in his category of weight (the heavy truck, in +95 kg), but also in all categories (a category without obligation of weight). In the first, the French makes display of his control by gaining each combat which is proposed to him by ippon . After having beaten the Japanese room and quadruple world champion Naoya Ogawa then the Spaniard Ernesto Pérez in semi-final, it triumphs over the German Frank Möller finally by ippon after less than 2 minutes of combat and thus preserves his title. Three days later, Douillet repeats in all categories by beating finally the Russian Sergei Kossorotov by an immobilization on the ground. Thanks to the title obtained in the heavy trucks, he became second French to preserve his world title after Fabien Canu at the end of the years 1980 and placed himself in legitimate favorite for the OJ which were profiled. But still, with this doubled more, David Douillet enters the history of the judo while becoming the third judoka to carry out this exploit after Yasuhiro Yamashita in 1981 and Naoya Ogawa in 1989. By carrying out this exploit in Japan and by equalizing the local performances of two stars, David Douillet acquires an immense notoriety in the country where martial art is king.

Dedication

The Olympic title

Logically selected for the Olympic Games of 1996 organized with Atlanta, it has the appearance of a favorite thanks to the three world titles obtained since its first Olympic participation in 1992. To the Georgia World Congress Center, Douillet passes the first turns without difficulties (the Belgian Van Barneveld, the Müller Luxembourger and the Krieger Austrian all are eliminated by David). The tricolor argument the semi-final vis-a-vis the Japanese Naoya Ogawa, this same judoka who had beaten it at the same stage of the Olympic tournament of Barcelona four years earlier. This tightened combat, qualified " finale before the finale" by the French, is finally gained by Douillet which thus gains its ticket for the Olympic final vis-a-vis the Spaniard Ernesto Pérez Lobo. Against this judoka whom it had already overcome at the time of the world last, the world champion takes in hand the combat and, thanks to a Uchi-subdued (mowing by the interior of the thigh), obtains an irreversible advantage which enables him to take down the Olympic title. He becomes thus the first French judoka to gain the gold medal in the queen category of the judo and the fourth Olympic champion all categories confused. At the evening of the competition, it is the Netherlander Anton Geesink, Olympic champion in 1964, who gives the gold medal to David Douillet.

Between victories and wounds

September 30th, 1996, is two months after the conquered Olympic title with Atlanta, the French is seriously wounded with the calf and the right shoulder in an motorbike accident. Thus, it finds gradually its weight of form (approximately 125 kg) and joins again with the competition at the time of the Mediterranean Jeux which take place in June 1997 with Bari (Italy). It signs a return noticed there by obtaining a gold medal thanks to its victory finally against the champion of Europe in title, Selim Tataroğlu.

More than this victory, it is the prospect for championships of the world organized in residence with Paris which justify the return to the foreground of the tricolor one. The judoka thus carries out a large preparation to hope to obtain a fourth world title. At the time of the competition, Douillet is qualified for the final by drawing aside once again the Turk Selim Tataroğlu in semi-final. Finally, it beats the Japanese Shinichi Shinohara by disqualification of this last and thus equalizes another Japanese, Yasuhiro Yamashita, by gaining a third world crown in the heavy trucks (four with the title in all categories taken down in 1995). This victory closes one difficult period started after the OJ of Atlanta; one period marked not only by its motorbike accident but also because the financial problems which the company knew whose David Douillet was shareholder. However, a pain with the left shoulder draws aside it once again from the tatamis after the world ones of Paris. Nevertheless, the French starts his preparation whose objective is obtaining a history second Olympic title with the Olympic Games of 2000 with Sydney. The principal stage of this company is the participation in the Championnats of the world 1999 organized with Birmingham. However, there still, David Douillet undergoes a large disillusion while being constrained to declare fixed price two days before the beginning of the competition because of a Pubalgie. This new wound however does not start its moral, given to find qualities which worked its prize list (it declared after this advertisement: " Sydney? It would be necessary that me am cut a leg so that I do not go there! " . Beaten in semi-final by the German Frank Möller, it replaces third minor but essential competition to consider a return to the high-level; a come-back considered to be encouraging by its trainer Marc Alexandre but who does not hide concerns as for the delay in his preparation caused by the wounds with repetition. Thus, it ravels with the head of the Olympic team of France on September 15th, 2000 in sport.

One week later, on September 22nd, 2000 in sport, proceeds the tournament of judo of the category of the heavy trucks to which David Douillet takes part indeed to try to become the judoka more titrated history. After a first combat passed without encumbers vis-a-vis the Douglas Venezuelan Cardozo (this last not being presented to the weighing before the competition), the French must deal with the Turk Selim Tataroğlu recent vice-champion of Europe (in all categories) and multiple world medal-holder . The French however beats it by ippon thanks to a o-uchi-gari (great interior mowing) and thus qualifies himself for the quarterfinals. It faces there the frightening Belgian Harry van Barneveld bronze medal four years before with Atlanta. But there still, Douillet passes this turn while profiting from the disqualification of its adversary. The confrontation between the two judokas is extremely tactical and it is necessary to wait one minute and half for even the French to take the advantage thanks to a mowing by the interior of the thigh (uchi-subdued). The arbitration decision allotted a yuko to Douillet, a decision disputed by Shinohara estimating to have dodged then countered the French. However, the central referee does not stumble and Shinohara does not manage to make up for this lost time. After five minutes of combat, David Douillet then could exulter and to enjoy a second Olympic championship.

With this victory, it enters the history of the judo while becoming the combatant who gained the most international championships. With six major international titles (2 Olympic titles, 4 world titles), it exceeds the Japanese Yasuhiro Yamashita (1 Olympic title, 4 world titles) who illustrated himself in the years 1970 and 1980. The Olympic tournament of Sydney however marks the end of the career of the French judoka who immediately announces his sporting retirement after the competition.

Asides and the after-career

The print of David Douillet

On the judo

If the French judoka is not any more the judoka more the medal-holder with the Olympic Games since the Japanese Tadahiro Nomura conquered its third consecutive title in 2004 with Athens, it however preserves a dominating place at the top of the world judo. It is thus one of the five male judokas (except Nomura) to have gained two Olympic titles but it is distinguished thanks to the bronze medal obtained in 1992 with Barcelona. It is thus the only one to have gained three Olympic medals with Nomura and Angelo Parisi.

With regard to the championships of the world, David Douillet is the judoka more titrated history with equality with three Japanese. He is also one of the two judokas triples world champion in the category of the heavy truck with Yasuhiro Yamashita. It is besides with the latter that the French is put in competition for the " titer" of larger judoka of the history. The level of the prize list, the second Olympic gold medal of Sydney made it possible Douillet to pass the Japanese heavy truck.

On the French sport

Thanks to its second Olympic title acquired in Sydney, it is devoted for the second time in 2000 Champions of the French champions by the sporting daily newspaper French the Team. This recognition is all the more remarkable as it precedes, in addition to Brahim Asloum first French Olympic champion of boxing since 1936, the leader of play of the team of France of football Zinédine Zidane, very haloed of a championship of Europe.

In 2005, it is one of the carry-flag of the unhappy candidature of Paris 2012 for the organization of the Olympic Games in the French capital.

David Douillet also engages against doping while integrating in 1999 the council of fight and prevention against doping.

A popular sportsman

Generous sportsman, David Douillet puts his popularity at the service of caritative operations. Near to the couple Chirac, he thus became godfather of the caritative operation " parts jaunes" with the old first lady Bernadette Chirac. It is with the end of the year 1996 qu ' it engages near the foundation of the hospitals of Paris to improve the daily newspaper of the children and hospitalized teenagers. It furrows at each beginning of year France with a postal TGV to try to collect funds and benefits from its public appearances to promote this operation.

In addition, after its second Olympic title, it is named ambassador for youth near UNESCO in 2001.

Reconversion

Since the end of his sporting career, David Douillet knew to reconvert itself as a head of undertaking and tries to manage his image as well as possible. This one was however put at evil when the company Travelsport, an travel agency whose David Douillet was shareholder, knows the bankruptcy in August 1997. Victim of a swindle, David Douillet quickly makes forget this business later by gaining its fourth world title a few weeks. Thanks to its second Olympic title, the tricolor one obtains the guarantee of a popular image reinforced to approach its reconversion in the business world.

After a short passage in the production companies of television, David Douillet now lends his name in frontage to several marks of sporting material marketing of the material of working, the equipment for the camp-site or the excursion as well as kimonos under the signature DD, and even recently with video game of simulation of the judo, David Douillet judo.

On television, after a short passage on France televisions, it joined Canal + where it is regularly present as a sporting consultant when international tests of judo are diffused on the chain. He had worked before with the acquisation of rights of diffusion of the competitions like the Tournoi of Paris and the championships of the world. It also acts in the preparation of the retransmissions of events like the Olympic Games or the 24 hours of Mans on the encrypted chain. Moreover, it appears occasionally in spots pubicitaires.

From now on the business man however did not give up the world of the judo since it is named within the management committee of the French federation of judo in 2005.

Anecdotes

David Douillet had to wait until 1997 to see itself decreeing the true Olympic gold medal however conquered the previous year. Indeed, the American organizers of the Plays of Atlanta had inverted the ceremonies of handing-over of the medals of the male and female competitions. Thus, Dutch Anton Geesink, Olympic champion of the all categories in 1964, gives to the French judoka the gold medal intended for the Chinese judokate Fuming Sun, Olympic champion of the heavy trucks among women. It is only in 1997 with Paris, at the time of the Mondiaux 1997, that the various actors are brought together once again to decree the good medals this time.

David Douillet made his entry in the dictionary Larousse in November 1997, a rare recognition for a sportsman always in activity. The same year, the Musée Grévin carries out a wax statue of David Douillet.

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