Angelo Parisi

Angelo Parisi ( born January 3, 1953 in Arpino, Italy ) is a former judoka, who won Olympic medals for both the United Kingdom and France. Overall Parisi won four Olympic medals, including a gold medal.

Career

Parisi was born in Italy, emigrated with his family, however, already in the 1950s in Great Britain. The mid-1960s Parisi started in Judo, 1968, he won his first junior title at the national level. In 1970 he won at the U17 European Championship. In 1971 he won at the U20 European Junior Championship and the British team, he won at the European Team Championships in adult category. In 1972 he won in the senior category the European title at light heavyweight. At the Olympic Games in 1972 Parisi competed in the open class and won his first three fights before he was defeated by the Frenchman Jean -Claude Brondani. About the consolation round, Parisi fought through with a win and a loss to one of the two bronze medals, the other received Brondani. 1973 Parisi won again the U20 European Championship, at the European Team Championships he won with his British teammates bronze. This start was his last start in the British National team because Parisi had a French woman from Avignon met, whom he married in August 1973. He applied for French citizenship, which he received in 1975.

Parisi moved to France, where he soon worked in the Ministry of Sport. In March 1977, he won his first French title. In May, he won silver at the European Championship with the French team and gold in the Open category. In 1978 he became vice European champion at light heavyweight, but won with the team the team title. Also in 1979 and 1980, he received two medals at the European Championships. The 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow were boycotted by some countries, including missing the Japanese Yasuhiro Yamashita with, the reigning world champion in the heavyweight division, and Sumio Endo, the world champion in the Open Class. In the heavyweight Parisi reached with three wins the final, where he defeated the Bulgarian Dimitar Saprianow by Ippon. Parisi came six days later in the open class at, even here he reached the finals with three wins, but lost there against Dietmar Lorenz from the GDR.

After a quieter 1981 Parisi won since 1982 more medals at European Championships, he won in 1982 with the team, 1983 and 1984 he won the Open Category. At the Olympic Games in 1984 Parisi occurred only in the heavyweight division at, after three victories, he reached the final, where they lost against the Japanese Hitoshi Saitō. Three months after the Olympics won Parisi again with the French team at the European Team Championship. In January 1985, Parisi adopted by the international competition scene with a third place at the Judo Tournament in Paris.

Medals

Olympic games

• United Kingdom 1972 Bronze Open Class

European Championships

( awakening class only )

• United Kingdom 1971 gold with the team
• 1972 Gold Light Heavyweight
• 1973 bronze with the team