1. Overview
Alice Bellandi (Alice BellandiAlice BellandiItalian, born November 28, 1998) is an Italian judoka who has achieved significant success in international competitions. A two-time Olympian, she notably clinched the gold medal in the women's -78 kg category at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Her career also includes multiple medals at the World Judo Championships and European Judo Championships, establishing her as one of the top athletes in her sport. Bellandi is also publicly known as an LGBTQ athlete.
2. Early Life and Background
Alice Bellandi was born on November 28, 1998, in Brescia, Italy. Information regarding her early life and specific details about her introduction to judo are not extensively documented, but her competitive career began in the youth divisions, indicating an early start in the sport.
3. Personal Life
Alice Bellandi is openly LGBTQ and is engaged to Jasmine Martin, a judoka from South Africa. Her public identity as an LGBTQ athlete contributes to her visibility beyond her athletic achievements.
4. Judo Career
Alice Bellandi's judo career has seen her compete across multiple weight categories, primarily excelling in the -70 kg class during her junior years before transitioning to the -78 kg category, where she achieved her most significant senior successes, including an Olympic gold medal.
4.1. Junior and Cadet Levels (2015-2018)
Bellandi began her international career in the cadet and junior divisions, primarily competing in the -70 kg weight class. In 2015, she won the gold medal at the European Youth Olympic Festival in the -70 kg category, demonstrating early promise. However, at the World Cadet Judo Championships in the same year, she finished seventh. Her junior career continued with strong performances, earning a bronze medal at the 2017 European Junior Judo Championships in Maribor. She then secured gold at the 2018 European Junior Judo Championships held in Sofia. A highlight of her junior career was winning the gold medal at the 2018 World Judo Juniors Championships in Nassau, where she defeated Japan's Ryo Niimori by a waza-ari in the final.
4.2. Senior Debut and Olympic Participation (2019-2021)
In 2019, Bellandi transitioned to senior-level competitions, still in the -70 kg category. She earned a silver medal at the 2019 Judo Grand Prix Tel Aviv and a bronze medal at the 2019 Judo Grand Prix Tbilisi. Later that year, she finished seventh at the 2019 Judo Grand Slam Osaka. In 2020, she placed fifth at the European Judo Championships. Bellandi made her Olympic debut at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, competing in the women's -70 kg event. She reached the quarterfinals but was defeated by Sanne van Dijke of the Netherlands, ultimately finishing in seventh place.
4.3. Transition to -78 kg and Breakthrough Success (2022-2023)
Following the Tokyo Olympics, Bellandi made a strategic move to the -78 kg weight class, a decision that led to a significant surge in her international success. In 2022, she secured a silver medal at the 2022 Judo Grand Prix Almada. She then won a bronze medal at the 2022 Judo Grand Slam Tel Aviv before capturing a bronze at the 2022 European Judo Championships in Sofia. The same year marked a series of golden achievements: she won the 2022 Judo Grand Slam Budapest, defeating Olympic champion Shori Hamada by a waza-ari in the quarter-final, followed by a gold medal at the 2022 Judo Grand Slam Baku. Her triumphant year concluded with a gold medal at the prestigious 2022 Judo World Masters in Jerusalem.
Her momentum continued into 2023. She started the year by winning the 2023 Judo Grand Slam Tel Aviv. While she secured a silver medal at the 2023 Judo Grand Slam Tbilisi, she went on to claim a bronze medal at the 2023 World Judo Championships in Doha. In Doha, she was defeated by Inbar Lanir of Israel in the semi-final but recovered to win the bronze medal match against Hamada by hansoku-make (disqualification). Later in 2023, she won gold at the 2023 Judo Grand Slam Abu Dhabi and took silver at the 2023 European Judo Championships in Montpellier. She also earned a silver medal at the 2023 Judo Grand Slam Baku.
4.4. 2024 Season and Olympic Gold
In the lead-up to the 2024 Paris Olympics, Bellandi maintained her strong performance. She earned a silver medal at the 2024 Judo Grand Slam Paris and a bronze medal at the 2024 Judo Grand Slam Tashkent. At the 2024 World Judo Championships in Abu Dhabi, she demonstrated her prowess by defeating formidable opponents such as Madeleine Malonga and Audrey Tcheuméo, both from France, en route to the final. She ultimately secured a silver medal after being defeated by Anna-Maria Wagner of Germany via a shime-waza (choking technique).
Her most significant achievement came at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she competed in the women's -78 kg category. In the final, she once again faced Inbar Lanir. Bellandi scored a waza-ari and then secured the gold medal through hansoku-make, marking her first Olympic title. As of July 22, 2024, she held the number one position in the IJF world rankings with 6425 points.
5. Major Tournament Results
The following table lists Alice Bellandi's significant results and medals from major international judo tournaments.
| Year | Competition | Weight Class | Medal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | European Cadet Championships | -70 kg | Bronze |
| 2015 | European Youth Olympic Festival | -70 kg | Gold |
| 2017 | European Junior Championships | -70 kg | Bronze |
| 2018 | European Junior Championships | -70 kg | Gold |
| 2018 | World Junior Championships | -70 kg | Gold |
| 2019 | Grand Prix Tel Aviv | -70 kg | Silver |
| 2019 | Grand Prix Tbilisi | -70 kg | Bronze |
| 2022 | Grand Prix Almada | -78 kg | Silver |
| 2022 | Grand Slam Tel Aviv | -78 kg | Bronze |
| 2022 | European Championships (Sofia) | -78 kg | Bronze |
| 2022 | Grand Slam Budapest | -78 kg | Gold |
| 2022 | Grand Slam Baku | -78 kg | Gold |
| 2022 | World Masters (Jerusalem) | -78 kg | Gold |
| 2023 | Grand Slam Tel Aviv | -78 kg | Gold |
| 2023 | Grand Slam Tbilisi | -78 kg | Silver |
| 2023 | World Championships (Doha) | -78 kg | Bronze |
| 2023 | Grand Slam Baku | -78 kg | Silver |
| 2023 | Grand Slam Abu Dhabi | -78 kg | Gold |
| 2023 | European Championships (Montpellier) | -78 kg | Silver |
| 2024 | Grand Slam Paris | -78 kg | Silver |
| 2024 | Grand Slam Tashkent | -78 kg | Bronze |
| 2024 | World Championships (Abu Dhabi) | -78 kg | Silver |
| 2024 | Olympic Games (Paris) | -78 kg | Gold |