Gay judo champion suffers broken jaw after attack by defeated opponent
Out gay Olympic judoka Timo Cavelius is recovering from a broken jaw following the attack. (Getty)
Out gay Olympic judo star Timo Cavelius is recovering from a broken jaw after being violently attacked by an opponent immediately after defeating him in a competition in Germany.
Cavelius, 29, was competing for TSV Abensberg against Leipzig Judo Club on 5 September when he faced Georgian judoka Akaki Japaridze for the second time in less than an hour. After Cavelius won their second bout, he raised a clenched fist towards his team in celebration. Japaridze then approached and repeatedly punched him, according to Cavelius’ club and the German Judo Federation.
Cavelius suffered severe facial injuries and required surgery at Leipzig University Hospital, where doctors fitted his jaw with three metal plates. He is expected to need at least 10–12 weeks to recover and will miss the World Judo Championships as a result, as reported by Outsports.
The injury could also have major consequences for his Olympic ambitions. Cavelius is currently ranked 41st in the world and had been pursuing qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Games. The German Judo Federation warned that his enforced absence could cause his ranking to drop further, potentially making Olympic qualification significantly more difficult.
Japaridze has acknowledged responsibility for the incident in a statement posted to his Instagram on 9 September, but claimed Cavelius’ celebration and alleged verbal provocation contributed to his actions. Cavelius has rejected that account, saying his celebration was directed at his own team and that he neither verbally nor physically attacked Japaridze.
The Georgian Judo Federation has said the attack contradicts the principles of judo in a statement, while Germany’s federation gave a statement condemning what it described as a severe, unprovoked assault.
There is no indication that Cavelius was attacked because he is gay. He made history at Paris 2024 as the first out gay man to compete in Olympic judo and has become an advocate for LGBTQ+ visibility in the sport.
Now, an assault that had nothing to do with the outcome of a judo match could leave him paying an enormous price in his career for simply being its victim.
