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Gabriella Willems

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Gabriella Willems
2016 Belgian Judo championship
Personal information
Born (1997-07-01) 1 July 1997 (age 27)
OccupationJudoka
Sport
CountryBelgium
SportJudo
Weight class‍–‍70 kg
Achievements and titles
Olympic GamesBronze (2024)
World Champ.5th (2024)
European Champ.R16 (2018, 2022, 2024)
Medal record
Women's judo
Representing  Belgium
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Paris ‍–‍70 kg
IJF Grand Slam
Silver medal – second place 2020 Düsseldorf ‍–‍70 kg
Silver medal – second place 2022 Abu Dhabi ‍–‍70 kg
Silver medal – second place 2022 Baku ‍–‍70 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2021 Tbilisi ‍–‍70 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Tel Aviv ‍–‍70 kg
IJF Grand Prix
Silver medal – second place 2018 Cancún ‍–‍70 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2018 The Hague ‍–‍70 kg
World Juniors Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2017 Zagreb ‍–‍70 kg
Profile at external databases
IJF21512
JudoInside.com27709
Updated on 31 July 2024

Gabriella (Gaby) Willems (born 1 July 1997) is a Belgian judoka,[1][2] winner of the bronze medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics.[3]

Personal history

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Willems grew up in Barchon, Liège Province, Belgium. Her first name is testament to her Italian heritage, her father having emigrated from the Venice region, Italy to work in the Belgian coalmines.[4] She attended primary school in Verviers where she tried her hand at gymnastics, swimming, karate and dance before turning to judo and joining amateur club J.C. Andrimont in Dison at the age of 6.[5][6] Although she later decided to train professionally at other clubs, she always stayed a member of J.C. Andrimont and presented herself as such at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.[7]

Willems attended Athénée royal Thil Lorrain in Verviers where she obtained in 2015 her CESS (Certificat d'enseignement secondaire supérieur).[8]

Willems is in a relationship with Italian judoka, Christian Parlati.[9] The couple lives in Naples where both train at the Parlati-family founded and managed Nippon Club.[10][11]

Career

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Having won several youth national titles, Willems won her fist senior national title in 2016.[12]

Willems first rose to international prominence winning a bronze medal at the 2017 World Judo Juniors Championships in Zagreb, Croatia.[13] Two weeks later she was crowned a second time senior national champion.[14]

Willems was the silver medalist of the 2020 Judo Grand Slam Düsseldorf in the ‍–‍70 kg category.[15]

She started 2021 well, with a 5th placing at the 2021 Judo Grand Slam Tel Aviv in mid-february and a bronze medal at the 2021 Judo Grand Slam Tbilisi in March. Being close to qualifying for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, in a fight against Barbara Matic, Willems tore the cruciate ligaments of her right knee at the 2021 Judo Grand Slam in Antalya, Turkey, putting an end to her Olympic dreams for Tokyo.[16][17]

Following a lengthy recovery period, Willems re-entered competition a year later at the 2022 European Judo Championships.[18] In October and November of that year, she won silver medals at the 2022 Judo Grand Slam Abu Dhabi[19] and 2022 Judo Grand Slam Baku.[20]

Willems's good form continued in to 2023 and she won a bronze medal at the 2023 Judo Grand Slam Tel Aviv.[21] But then, more injuries: first, Willems had to undergo Latarjet surgery to treat recurrent shoulder dislocations and then, upon her return to competition in the 2023 Judo World Masters in September, in warm-up, she suffered another cruciate ligament tear in the same right knee she injured before.[22]

After another lengthy recovery period, Willems returned to competition at the 2024 European Judo Championships where she was eliminated in the 2nd round.[23] Willems had little time to gather the necessary points to qualify for the Games. Needing to finish at least 5th at the 2024 World Judo Championships in order to qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics, she managed to do just that and booked her ticket for Paris.[24]

At the 2024 Summer Olympics Willems upset competitors ranked 2, 5, and 7 on her way to winning the bronze medal in the Women's 70 kg category.[24]

References

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  1. ^ "IJF Profile". IJF.org. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  2. ^ "JudoInside Profile". judoinside.com. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  3. ^ "THE WONDER THAT IS WILLEMS". European Judo Union. 31 July 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  4. ^ "Het brons van Gabriella Willems was onverhoopt, de liefde voor haar judoka-vriend was achteraf minstens zo mooi" (in Dutch). Humo. 31 July 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  5. ^ "Gabriella Willems (-70 kg) : Gaby, c'est plus sympa !" (PDF). L’Écho des Tatamis (in French). 23 March 2016. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  6. ^ "Gabriella Willems, 20 ans : "Le judo, un sport super complet"" (in French). RTBF. 21 January 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  7. ^ "Le Judo Club d'Andrimont fier de Gabriella : " Un exemple pour la jeunesse "". www.vedia.be (in French). 1 August 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  8. ^ "WILLEMS Gabriella". www.olympics.com. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  9. ^ "LOVE IS IN THE AIR: MEET THE OLYMPIC COUPLES COMPETING AT PARIS 2024". www.olympics.com. 10 July 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  10. ^ "Een knuffel die álles zegt: bronzen Gabriella Willems verhuisde na zware tegenslag naar Napels, voor de liefde" (in Dutch). Het Laatste Nieuws. 31 July 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  11. ^ "Disciplina, grinta e passione alla base del successo" [Discipline, grit and passion are the basis of success] (in Italian). www.segnaliditalia.it. 5 July 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  12. ^ "L'Andrimontoise Gaby Willems championne de Belgique Senior de judo !" (in French). www.vedia.be. 6 November 2016. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  13. ^ "World Judo Championships Juniors & Teams Day 3". Xinhua News Agency. 21 October 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  14. ^ "Gaby Willems (JC Andrimont) championne de Belgique Senior 2017 de judo !" (in French). www.vedia.be. 4 November 2017. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  15. ^ "Results 2020 Judo Grand Slam Dusseldorf -70 kg". IJF.org. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  16. ^ "NO OLYMPIC GAMES FOR BELGIAN JUDOKA GABRIELLA WILLEMS AFTER KNEE INJURY". www.judoinside.com. 7 April 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  17. ^ "Rupture des ligaments croisés pour Gabriella Willems" (in French). Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee. 7 April 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  18. ^ "Un an après sa blessure, Gabriella Willems est de retour : "Je suis tellement contente de pouvoir enfin combattre"" (in French). La Dernière Heure. 27 April 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  19. ^ "Gabriella Willems prend l'argent à Abu Dhabi" (in French). Judo Wallonie Bruxelles. 24 October 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  20. ^ "Baku : l'argent pour Willems, le bronze pour Umayev" (in French). Judo Wallonie Bruxelles. 7 November 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  21. ^ "Une formidable médaille de bronze pour Gabriella Willems à Tel Aviv !" (in French). La Dernière Heure. 17 February 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  22. ^ "Judo : Gabriella Willems, de retour sur les tatamis : "Ma priorité, c'est de ne plus me blesser"" (in French). RTBF. 22 November 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  23. ^ "Championnats d'Europe de judo - Gabriella Willems bat la 11e mondiale avant d'être éliminée au 2e tour à Zagreb en -70kg" (in French). La Libre Belgique. 26 April 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  24. ^ a b "Olympics: Judoka Gabriella Willems wins surprise bronze medal after battling injuries". Belga (news agency). 31 July 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
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