Dirk Van Tichelt

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Dirk Van Tichelt (born June 10, 1984 in Turnhout ) is a Belgian judoka . He was Olympic Knight in 2016 and European Champion in 2008.

Athletic career

The 1.73 m tall Dirk Van Tichelt fights internationally in the lightweight up to 73 kilograms. In 2006 he received the silver medal at the U23 European Championships. At the Judo European Championships in Lisbon in 2008 , he defeated the Hungarian Ákos Braun in the semifinals and the Spaniard Kiyoshi Uematsu in the final . Four months later he lost early at the Olympic Games in Beijing to the later Olympic champion Elnur Məmmədli from Azerbaijan. With three wins in the round of hope he reached the battle for bronze, which he lost to Rassul Boqijew from Tajikistan.

The following year, Van Tichelt reached the semifinals of the 2009 World Judo Championships in Rotterdam. After his defeat against the North Korean Kim Chol-Su , he won the battle for bronze against the Turkish Sezer Huysuz . At the European Judo Championships 2010 in Vienna, Dirk Van Tichelt also reached the semifinals, but then lost to the Portuguese João Pina and the Hungarian Attila Ungvári and finished in fifth place. In 2011 the Belgian reached seventh place at the World Championships in Paris . At the Olympic Games in London in 2012 he won his opening fight, but lost in his second fight against Nick Delpopolo and was eliminated; Delpopolo was later disqualified for doping.

At the European Judo Championships in Budapest in 2013 , Dirk Van Tichelt reached the semifinals, but then lost to the two Georgians Nugsar Tatalaschwili and Zebeda Rekhviashvili . Four months later, he also fought his way to the semi-finals at the World Championships in Rio de Janeiro . After a defeat against the Japanese Shōhei Ōno , he defeated the Kazakh Dastan Ykybayev in the battle for bronze . A year later, Van Tichelt took seventh place at the 2014 Judo World Championships . The 2015 European Championships were held as part of the European Games in Baku , Van Tichelt lost the semi-finals against Nugsar Tatalashvili, but won the battle for bronze against the Dutchman Dex Elmont . At the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, he was defeated by Shōhei Ōno from Japan in the semi-finals, while Van Tichelt defeated the Hungarian Miklós Ungvári in the battle for bronze .

Belgian championship title

  • Lightweight: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
  • Light Middleweight: 2010, 2011

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Van Tichelt, Dirk
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Belgian judoka
DATE OF BIRTH June 10, 1984
PLACE OF BIRTH Turnhout