1. Personal Information
Claudia Antoinette Zwiers was born on 23 November 1973 in Haarlem, North Holland, Netherlands. She is a Dutch national. Zwiers stands at a height of 71 in (181 cm).
2. Career
Claudia Zwiers's career as a judoka saw her represent the Netherlands at two Summer Olympics, in 1996 and 2004. She began her career competing in the -66 kg category, where she achieved her first major Olympic success. Over time, she transitioned through different weight classes, adapting her style and technique to new challenges. Her journey in the sport was characterized by persistent efforts to secure medals at major international events, culminating in multiple podium finishes at the European Championships and a bronze medal at the World Championships.
2.1. Weight Class Progression
Throughout her career, Claudia Zwiers competed in three different weight classes: -66 kg, -70 kg, and -78 kg. She initially competed in the -66 kg division, where she won her Olympic bronze medal in 1996. By 1998, she moved up to the -70 kg class. This transition, however, proved challenging as she faced strong domestic competition, notably from Edith Bosch, which prevented her from qualifying for the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Following this, Zwiers changed her weight class again, moving to the -78 kg division. In this new category, she continued to compete at the highest level, eventually earning a bronze medal at the 2005 World Championships.
3. Major Competition Results
Claudia Zwiers achieved significant success throughout her judo career, securing multiple medals at the Olympic Games, World Championships, and European Championships.
3.1. Olympic Games
Zwiers participated in two Olympic Games. At the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, competing in the women's -66 kg division, she won a bronze medal. In the semi-final, she was defeated by Cho Min-sun of South Korea by Ouchi gari. Her second Olympic appearance was at the 2004 Athens Olympics in the -78 kg category, where she was defeated in her opening match by Liu Xia of China via Kami shiho gatame.
3.2. World Championships
Zwiers competed in several World Judo Championships. She finished fifth in the -66 kg category at the 1993 and 1995 World Championships. In 2001 and 2003, competing in the -78 kg division, she again placed fifth. In 2003, she also competed in the open weight category, finishing seventh. Her most notable achievement at the World Championships came in 2005 in Cairo, where she won a bronze medal in the -78 kg division, despite losing to Céline Lebrun of France in the quarter-finals.
3.3. European Championships
Claudia Zwiers had a highly successful record at the European Judo Championships, earning one gold medal and five bronze medals. She won gold in the -66 kg category at the 1996 European Championships held in The Hague, Netherlands. Her bronze medals were secured in the -66 kg division in 1993 Athens, 1994 Gdansk, and 1997 Oostende. After moving to the -78 kg class, she continued her success with bronze medals at the 2001 Paris and 2002 Maribor European Championships.
4. Detailed Competition Records
This section provides a comprehensive overview of Claudia Zwiers's international competition results, categorized by the weight class in which she competed.
4.1. 66 kg Class Records
| Year | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Belgian Open Judo | 2nd |
| 1992 | World Cup Vienna (Austrian International) | 2nd |
| 1993 | Grand Slam Paris (French International) | 3rd |
| 1993 | World Cup Budapest (Hungarian International) | 1st |
| 1993 | Grand Prix Rotterdam (Dutch International) | 1st |
| 1993 | European Judo Championships | 3rd |
| 1993 | World Judo Championships | 5th |
| 1994 | Hungarian International | 3rd |
| 1994 | Dutch International | 3rd |
| 1994 | European Championships | 3rd |
| 1994 | Fukuoka International Women's Judo Championships | 2nd |
| 1995 | Dutch International | 1st |
| 1995 | World Championships | 5th |
| 1995 | Fukuoka International | 1st |
| 1996 | French International | 3rd |
| 1996 | Hungarian International | 1st |
| 1996 | Dutch International | 1st |
| 1996 | European Championships | 1st |
| 1996 | 1996 Summer Olympics | 3rd |
| 1997 | French International | 3rd |
| 1997 | Hungarian International | 1st |
| 1997 | World Cup Rome (Italian International) | 1st |
| 1997 | Dutch International | 1st |
| 1997 | European Championships | 3rd |
4.2. 70 kg Class Records
| Year | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Hungarian International | 1st |
| 1999 | Dutch International | 1st |
| 1999 | Military World Games | 1st |
| 2000 | French International | 3rd |
| 2000 | World Cup Prague (Czech International) | 3rd |
4.3. 78 kg Class Records
| Year | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | French International | 3rd |
| 2001 | European Championships | 3rd |
| 2001 | World Championships | 5th |
| 2001 | Summer Universiade | 2nd |
| 2002 | French International | 3rd |
| 2002 | Dutch International | 1st |
| 2002 | European Championships | 3rd |
| 2003 | Czech International | 2nd |
| 2003 | World Championships (78 kg) | 5th |
| 2003 | World Championships (Open) | 7th |
| 2004 | Austrian International | 1st |
| 2005 | French International | 3rd |
| 2005 | World Championships | 3rd |
| 2006 | Hungarian International | 3rd |
| 2007 | Dutch International | 3rd |