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Adrian Neil Adams, MBE (27 September 1958) is an English judoka who won numerous Olympic and World Championship medals in judo representing Great Britain. [2] [3] He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1983 New Year Honours for services to judo. [4]
Adams was educated at Myton School in Warwick. Adams' brother was the late professional wrestling star Chris Adams, who himself had a successful career in judo before turning to pro wrestling in 1978.
Adams was the first British male to win a World title, and the first British male to simultaneously hold a world title and a European title. Other achievements include a gold medal at the 1981 World Judo Championships in Maastricht, the Netherlands, plus silver medals in the 1980 and 1984 Summer Olympic Games and the 1983 Judo World Championships. Adams was also five-time European Champion. He is also a two times champion of Great Britain, winning lightweight and half-middleweight divisions at the British Judo Championships in 1976 and 1988. [5]
On 18 December 2018 he was promoted by the International Judo Federation to kudan - 9th Dan at the age of 60. He was presented with his certificate of grade (at the Paris Grand Slam tournament) on 10 February 2019 by the federation's president, Marius Vizer.
Since retiring, Adams has run a coach education business called Neil Adams Effective Fighting, as well as teaching Judo around the world.
He was national coach of VJF judo in Belgium. He then became head coach of the Welsh Judo Association, a position he took on after being asked to take up the role by close friend and chairman of the association Keven Williams, a position he resigned in March 2009. [6]
Neil's brother Chris Adams grew up practising Judo alongside him, however, Chris did not pursue the sport as an adult and instead chose to enter professional wrestling. [7] [8]
In the 1980s Adams was engaged to British Olympic swimming star Sharron Davies. [9]
Adams married Alison Walker of Burford, and together had a son but they divorced in 2000.
He met former Canadian Olympic Judoka Niki Jenkins at the Sydney Olympic Games, and they married in 2002. The couple have two daughters, Brooke and Taylor, and live in Rugby.
Adams is a recovering alcoholic. [10]
Adams was so fondly regarded in Japan that he was given the nickname Happo Bigin (Everyone's friend). [11]
A canine version of Neil Adams made a 'guest appearance' in episode 44 of the online comic series Dog Judo [12]
On 2 December 1983, he was one of the guests on the U.K. children's programme Crackerjack together with Lynsey de Paul and Kim Wilde. [13]
Adams was also a contestant on the BBC TV series The Adventure Game in 1983
He is now a commentator for the IJF. [14]
Judo is an unarmed modern Japanese martial art, combat sport, Olympic sport, and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally. Judo was created in 1882 by Kanō Jigorō as an eclectic martial art, distinguishing itself from its predecessors due to an emphasis on "randori" instead of kata alongside its removal of striking and weapon training elements. Judo rose to prominence for its dominance over established jujutsu schools in tournaments hosted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, resulting in its adoption as the department's primary martial art. A judo practitioner is called a "judoka", and the judo uniform is called "judogi".
Robert Van de Walle is a retired Belgian judoka. He was the first judoka to ever compete at five Olympics, from 1976 to 1992. Competing in the half-heavyweight category he won the gold medal in 1980 and a bronze in 1988 at the age of 34. Van de Walle won European titles in 1980, 1985 and 1986. Together with Ingrid Berghmans he was the face of Belgian judo in the late 1970s and 1980s. After retiring from competitions he ran a coaching company together with his wife. He was the head of the Belgian delegation at the 2004 Summer Olympics. In summer 2021, 14 years after obtaining the rank of black belt 8th dan; Van De Walle, currently a member of Judo Club Crossing Schaerbeek, accepted his promotion to 9th dan from the International Judo Federation.
The International Judo Federation (IJF) is the international governing body for judo, founded in July 1951. Today the IJF has 200 National Federations on all continents. There are over 20 million people around the globe who practice judo, according to the IJF.
The 2007 World Judo Championships are the 25th edition of the Judo World Championships, and were held at the Rio Olympic Arena, usually called Arena Multiuso, that was built for the 2007 Pan-American Games, in Jacarepaguá, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from September 13 to September 16, 2007.
Idalys Ortiz Bocourt is a Cuban judoka. She competed in the over 78 kg division at the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympics and won a medal on each occasion. She won the silver medal in the women's +78 kg event at the 2020 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan.
Jean-Luc Rougé is a French judoka. He competed at the 1976 Summer Olympics and the 1980 Summer Olympics.
Karen Valerie Briggs MBE is a British retired judoka. Internationally active throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Briggs was a multiple World (four-time) and European (five-time) champion, represented Great Britain at the 1992 Olympic Games, and won gold for England at the 1990 Commonwealth Games. She is a member of the IJF Hall of Fame, and recognised as one of the most successful British and female judoka of all time.
Sally Conway is a Scottish retired judoka who competed for Team GB in the 2012 and the 2016 Summer Olympics in the women's 70 kg judo event. Conway won a bronze medal in the 2016 Olympics. She competed for Scotland at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, where she won a bronze medal at the at women's 70 kg judo event. As of 2024, Conway coaches Sweden's national judo team.
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Sagi Aharon Muki is an Israeli Olympic and former world champion half-middleweight judoka. Muki is the 2019 World Champion. He also won the 2015 and 2018 European championships. In the mixed team event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Muki was a member of the Israeli team that won the bronze medal.
Takanori Nagase is a Japanese judoka.
Gwak Dong-han is a South Korean judoka. He won the gold medal in the 90 kg event at the 2015 World Judo Championships. He is currently ranked No. 1 in the world.
An Chang-rim is a South Korean retired judoka.
Hong Kuk-hyon is a North Korean judoka. He was Asian champion in 2013. He also won the silver medal at the 2014 World Championships.
Soichi Hashimoto is a Japanese judoka. Hashimoto is currently ranked first in the lightweight division.
Daria Hennadiyivna Bilodid is a Ukrainian judoka. She is a two-time world champion, a three-time European champion and won a bronze medal in the women's 48 kg event at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Bilodid is also a junior world champion (2018) and a junior European champion (2016).
Baruch Shmailov is an Israeli Olympic judoka. He competes in the under 66 kg weight category, and won a gold medal in the 2022 World Masters in Jerusalem. Shmailov also won a bronze in the 2017 World Masters, as well as a silver at the 2018 World Masters.
Peter Paltchik is a Ukrainian-born Israeli former European champion and Olympic judoka, competing in the under 100 kg weight category, of which he is the current number 1 ranked Judoka in the world. Paltchik won the bronze medal at the 2018 European Judo Championships in Tel Aviv. In 2019 he won the Israeli championship in the 100+ Kg category. He then won the gold medal at the 2020 European Judo Championships in Prague. Paltchik also won a bronze medal in the mixed team judo competition in the 2021 Olympics. At the 2023 World Judo Championships he won a bronze medal. Paltchik represented Israel at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris in judo in the men's 100 kg event and in the mixed team event, and was the flag bearer for his country, alongside the swimmer Andrea Murez.
Nikoloz Sherazadishvili Sakvarelidze is a judoka. Born in Georgia, he competes internationally for Spain.
World Judo Championships — Men's Half Middleweight | |
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1967–75: −70 kg • 1979–97: −78 kg • 1999–present: −81 kg | |
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European Judo Championships — Men's Half Middleweight | |
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1965–76: −70 kg • 1977–97: −78 kg • 1998–present: −81 kg | |
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European Judo Championships — Men's Lightweight | |
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1957–65: −68 kg • 1966–76: −63 kg • 1977–97: −71 kg • 1998–present: −73 kg | |
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| International | |
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| National | |
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