First world CHAMPIONSHIP with the great men and immediately medailleoutsider |

Eye-CATCHER

Matthias Casse, the wonderboy of the Belgian judo

First world CHAMPIONSHIP with the great men and immediately medailleoutsider

In 2017, he was the first Belgian junior world champion since 1986. In 2018, he is, in his first world CHAMPIONSHIPS on the senior level, equal medailleoutsider: Matthias Casse (21), remember that name.

camera closecorrect Refer ds2 facebook gplus nextprevshare twitter video

Eye-CATCHER

Matthias Casse: ‘There is pressure from the outside, but I let me the head, not jumped.” Eric Lalmand/belga

Matthias Casse, the wonderboy of the Belgian judo

First world CHAMPIONSHIP with the great men and immediately medailleoutsider

BRUSSELIn this hosannaverhaal fits a snack. This is about judo. The sport where, for each tournament, then judolegende Gella Vandecaveye talked about the ‘bananenschil’. That she repeated ad nauseum, but she was right. Best as possible, so that Matthias Casse at the world cup already ‘slipping’ over an opponent in one of the first rounds and the over and out is – such as, for example, at the european CHAMPIONSHIPS this year. Because a judo match is often in a fraction of a second of inattention is being decided.

But, regardless of that law, is lying to the world. And there stands Casse on place nine. In the weight category -81 kilograms, together with the -73 kilo (in which Dirk Van Tichelt is active) the strongest weight category at the men. And that in his first year with the giants.

And then there are the compliments from people who may know. Dirk Van Tichelt, with whom he regularly trains and often is: ‘If he’s so voortdoet, he may become an olympic medal pack.’

‘Who is world champion
in the juniors, can also ever olympic champion’
Jean-Marie Dedecker
Best Belgian judocoach ever

Jean-Marie Dedecker

Best Belgian judocoach ever

Cédric Taymans, the technical director which, in recent years, the Walloon judo out of the doldrums brought: “He impresses by his maturity, his mentality. I deem him capable of everything.”

However, Matthias Casse? ‘Yes, there is pressure from the outside. But I can pretty easy to me marketing. I let me head not hollow. I’ve shown that I was the better judoka’s of the world could be wrong. I know that I at everyone can win. Only: it is not self-evident.’ Of course he wants to now already show that he can shine. “Top five I’d be an excellent performance. But the way I will fight, good judo is more important than the sheer result. I still have a lot of work points. I don’t miss experience, so that my opponent can easily surprise. And it’s much more powerful, almost impossible to compare with the juniors.’

Van Tichelt: ‘The transition from juniors to seniors is indeed a big step. Especially the strength is usually a huge difference. But Matthias adapts it excellently.’

No better teacher than Van Tichelt, so says medaillemaker of yesteryear Jean-Marie Dedecker, the best Belgian judocoach ever: Dirk has his experience, knows the judowereld. With a good support he can get very far. Casse is already an absolute winner, about three years ago, we know or are transfer truly successful, whether it is a fixed value. But who is junior world champion, once an olympic champion.’

Chemiestudent

Of course, dreaming Casse, at the outset of his career, from Tokyo 2020. But he loves a blow to the arm. “Not everything has to yield to the Play of Tokyo. After my world title, I have for juniors not for a moment thought of everything in sports and my chemiestudie (at the Karel de Grote-Hogeschool in Hoboken) to drop. It’s not always easy to combine – if I have two, three weeks on a placement’m in Japan, it is difficult to updated touch – but it is a good distraction because it is totally something else. I want both high-level combining. Even though I don’t know whether I got my degree ever will need. If my judocarrière as well keep walking, I keep perhaps for the rest of my life in the judowereld. And that is perhaps my most ambition in the long term.’ (gsg, hjb)

World CHAMPIONSHIPS judo in Baku,
from 20 to 27 september

Program the Belgians: TODAY Anne-Sophie Jura (-48 kg), Joran Schildermans (-60 kg), Jorre Verstraeten (-60 kg); FRIDAY, Charline Van Snick (-52kg), Kenneth Transports (-66 kg); SATURDAY Mina libeer has been described (-57 kg), Dirk Van Tichelt (-73 kg); SUNDAY, Sami Chouchi, Matthias Casse (-81 kg), MONDAY Roxane Taeymans, Gabriella Willems (-70 kg), TUESDAY Sophie Berger (-78kg).

Toma Nikiforov (-100kg), the best Belgian judoka of the moment, is absent. He is with a knee injury months outside of battle.