Timo Cavelius, the first out gay man to compete in judo at the Olympics, is still processing the violent assault that left him with a broken jaw, as reported by Jon Holmes for Outsports. The German judoka was attacked by Georgian competitor Akaki Japaridze immediately after defeating him in a Bundesliga match in Leipzig on September 5, an incident that has shocked the sport and triggered investigations by both police and judo’s governing bodies.
Cavelius underwent surgery to stabilize a double jaw fracture with three plates and now faces a six- to eight-week break from training, followed by months of restricted eating. More consequentially, he will miss the World Judo Championships in Baku next month and the Grand Slam in Budapest—competitions critical for Olympic qualification. His path to competing in Los Angeles in 2028 is now at serious risk after he had just returned to international competition following a previous injury.
In a detailed interview, Cavelius addressed Japaridze’s claim that he felt provoked by a celebratory gesture and that his honor as a man had been injured. Cavelius acknowledged his celebration may have been perceived differently than intended but drew a firm distinction between a gesture and physical violence. “Even if Japaridze perceived my celebration as an affront or provocation, that can neither explain nor justify the physical attack that followed,” he said, adding that while he’s willing to reflect on how his celebration affected his opponent, “everyone remains responsible for their own physical reaction.”
Cavelius stopped short of speculating whether homophobia played a role, noting that without explicit statements from Japaridze linking the attack to his sexuality, he prefers to stick to facts rather than attribute unstated motives. He emphasized that judo’s core values—respect, fairness, and mutual regard—make the incident particularly troubling and expressed hope that the sport will draw the right conclusions from what he believes is an unprecedented incident in the discipline.
https://www.outsports.com/2026/9/16/24143335/timo-cavelius-judo-germany-olympics-gay-lgbtq-reaction/
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