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Neil Adams
MBE
Adams at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Personal information
Full nameAdrian Neil Adams
NationalityBritish (English)
Born (1958-09-27) 27 September 1958 (age 65)
Rugby, Warwickshire
Home townCoventry
OccupationJudoka
Height5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight12 st 3 lb (171 lb; 78 kg)
Websitewww.neiladamsjudo.info Edit this at Wikidata
Sport
CountryGreat Britain
SportJudo
Weight class–71 kg, –78 kg
Rank     9th dan black belt[1]
Achievements and titles
Olympic GamesSilver (1980, 1984)
World Champ.Gold (1981)
European Champ.Gold (1979, 1980, 1983,
Gold( 1984, 1985)
Medal record
Men's judo
Representing  Great Britain
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 1980 Moscow ‍–‍71 kg
Silver medal – second place 1984 Los Angeles ‍–‍78 kg
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1981 Maastricht ‍–‍78 kg
Silver medal – second place 1983 Moscow ‍–‍78 kg
Bronze medal – third place 1979 Paris ‍–‍71 kg
Bronze medal – third place 1985 Seoul ‍–‍78 kg
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 1979 Brussels ‍–‍71 kg
Gold medal – first place 1980 Vienna ‍–‍78 kg
Gold medal – first place 1983 Paris ‍–‍78 kg
Gold medal – first place 1984 Liege ‍–‍78 kg
Gold medal – first place 1985 Hamar ‍–‍78 kg
Bronze medal – third place 1977 Ludwigshafen ‍–‍71 kg
Bronze medal – third place 1978 Helsinki ‍–‍71 kg
Bronze medal – third place 1982 Rostock ‍–‍78 kg
World Juniors Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1976 Madrid ‍–‍70 kg
European Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place 1977 Berlin ‍–‍71 kg
Bronze medal – third place 1976 Lodz ‍–‍70 kg
European Cadet Championships
Gold medal – first place 1974 Tel Aviv ‍–‍58 kg
Bronze medal – third place 1975 Turku ‍–‍65 kg
Profile at external databases
IJF335
JudoInside.com4889
Updated on 19 June 2023.

Adrian Neil Adams, MBE (born 27 September 1958 in Rugby, Warwickshire) is an English judoka who won numerous Olympic and World Championship medals in judo representing Great Britain.[2] He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1983 New Year Honours for services to judo.[3]

Early life

Adams was educated at Myton School in Warwick. Adams' brother was the late professional wrestling star Chris Adams, who himself had a successful career in judo before turning to pro wrestling in 1978.

Judo competition career

Adams was the first British male to win a World title, and the first British male to simultaneously hold a world title and a European title. Other achievements include a gold medal at the 1981 World Judo Championships in Maastricht, the Netherlands, plus silver medals in the 1980 and 1984 Summer Olympic Games and the 1983 Judo World Championships. Adams was also five-time European Champion. He is also a two times champion of Great Britain, winning lightweight and half-middleweight divisions at the British Judo Championships in 1976 and 1988.[4]

On 18 December 2018 he was promoted by the International Judo Federation to kudan - 9th Dan at the age of 60. He was presented with his certificate of grade (at the Paris Grand Slam tournament) on 10 February 2019 by the federation's president, Marius Vizer.

Coaching career

Since retiring, Adams has run a coach education business called Neil Adams Effective Fighting, as well as teaching Judo around the world.

He was national coach of VJF judo in Belgium. He then became head coach of the Welsh Judo Association, a position he took on after being asked to take up the role by close friend and chairman of the association Keven Williams, a position he resigned in March 2009.[5]

Personal life

In the 1980s Adams was engaged to British Olympic swimming star Sharron Davies.[6]

Adams married Alison Walker of Burford, and together had a son but they divorced in 2000.

He met former Canadian Olympic Judoka Niki Jenkins at the Sydney Olympic Games, and they married in 2002. The couple have two daughters, Brooke and Taylor, and live in Rugby.

Bibliography

In popular culture

Adams was so fondly regarded in Japan that he was given the nickname Happo Bigin (Everyone's friend).[7]

A canine version of Neil Adams made a 'guest appearance' in episode 44 of the online comic series Dog Judo[8]

On 2 December 1983, he was one of the guests on the U.K. children's programme Crackerjack together with Lynsey de Paul and Kim Wilde.[9]

Adams was also a contestant on the BBC TV series The Adventure Game in 1983

He is now a commentator for the IJF.[10]

See also

References

  1. ^ "IJF Dan Grades Awardees" (PDF). International Judo Federation. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 February 2023. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  2. ^ "Neil Adams profile". Judo Inside. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  3. ^ UK & Commonwealth list: "No. 49212". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1982. p. 12.
  4. ^ "British Championships - Event results". Judo Inside. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  5. ^ Kombatclinic.com (6 October 2009), British Judo legend Neil Adams MBE, archived from the original on 13 July 2011, retrieved 3 November 2009
  6. ^ "The water babe". The Daily Telegraph. 29 August 2004. Archived from the original on 19 May 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  7. ^ Judo Heroes – 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games website
  8. ^ Dog Judo site
  9. ^ ""Crackerjack!" Episode #28.10 (TV Episode 1983) - IMDb". IMDb.
  10. ^ "Bionic Commentator: Neil Adams".

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Neil Adams.
World Judo Championships — Men's Half Middleweight
European Judo Championships — Men's Half Middleweight
European Judo Championships — Men's Lightweight
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