‘I’m still shocked’: Gay judo champion reacts to brutal assault by opponent that broke his jaw

Olympic judoka Timo Cavelius says only Akaki Japaridze can explain why he launched the brutal attack that has left the German with a broken jaw.

Cavelius, the first out gay man to compete in the sport at the Olympics, was violently assaulted by Georgian judoka Japaridze following a Bundesliga match in Leipzig on Sep. 5. 

The incident has stunned the sport and is currently the subject of investigation by both the police and the relevant governing bodies. Cavelius is recovering from surgery and will miss next month’s World Judo Championships, affecting his chances of reaching the LA 2028 Olympics.

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The controversy has intensified in recent days after Japaridze alleged that he had reacted to a gesture and alleged verbal provocation by Cavelius. The Georgian also failed to directly apologize.

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Outsports reached out to Cavelius, who shared his responses to a series of questions.

Outsports: Timo, it’s been a week and a half since Akaki Japaridze’s assault. Looking back on that moment now, what are your thoughts?

Cavelius: I’m still shocked by what happened. After the fight ended, I was happy about my victory and celebrated in the direction of my team and teammates. The fight was close and evenly matched, so naturally I was very relieved and happy to have won.

I never expected the situation to escalate the way it did immediately afterwards. I still find it difficult to understand how a sporting competition could lead to such a situation.

@opencaucasusmedia

Georgian judoka attacks German competitor after match defeat The incident occurred as Cavelius was celebrating his victory in a judo match in Germany, reportedly resulting in a broken jaw and two of his teeth being knocked out. ♬ original sound – OC Media

You suffered a double jaw fracture. How are you healing up?

It’s proceeding as planned. The operation went well, and my jaw was stabilized with a total of three plates.

I’ve been prescribed a six- to eight-week break from sports. After that, I can slowly start training again. For now, until the fourth week, I’m still restricted to pureed or liquid food. After around eight months, the plates will have to be removed again.

My recovery is my priority now. I’m glad that everything has gone according to plan so far, and I want to give my body the time it needs to heal completely.

In 2024, you made sports history as the first out gay male judoka to compete at the Olympics. While in Germany an individual’s sexual orientation is fortunately not a major issue, the situation is different in countries such as Georgia. Could that have played a role in the incident?

I cannot and do not want to judge whether Japaridze attacked me because of my sexuality. Ultimately, his statement leaves room for interpretation in this regard. What he was thinking at that moment is something only he himself can answer.

As long as Japaridze’s statements do not explicitly refer to my sexual orientation, I don’t want to speculate about it. It’s important to me to stick to the facts and not attribute a motive to anyone that can’t be substantiated.

What do you think could have triggered the attack?

Ultimately, only Akaki Japaridze himself can answer that. I can only describe how I perceived what happened. There were no verbal insults or physical attacks from my side. My behavior consisted of celebrating my victory, which was directed at my own team.

I can understand that Japaridze may have perceived my celebration as a provocation. I can accept that as his perception, without it having been my intention. What Japaridze felt or thought in that moment is ultimately something only he himself can answer.

According to his account, Japaridze felt provoked by a celebratory gesture and believed your behavior had injured his honor as a man. What’s your view of this explanation?

I can understand that my celebration may have come across differently to Japaridze than I intended it to. It wasn’t my intention to personally humiliate or insult him. The celebration was directed at my own team and was an expression of my joy at winning the fight.

For me, however, it’s crucial to distinguish between a gesture and physical violence. A gesture can be perceived as provocative or inappropriate. That’s something one can also reflect on critically afterwards. Physical violence, however, is an entirely different matter.

Even if Japaridze perceived my celebration as an affront or provocation, that can neither explain nor justify the physical attack that followed. That’s why I don’t want these two things to be conflated.

I’m willing to reflect on how my celebration may have affected Japaridze. But that doesn’t change the fact that everyone remains responsible for their own physical reaction.

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In light of what happened, would you celebrate in a similar way after a comparable fight?

I’ll continue to celebrate when I win a fight. At the same time, I have naturally thought about how a gesture can be perceived by an opponent.

If I were in the same situation again today, I would probably be more conscious of how I express my celebration. For me, that’s a matter of mutual respect.

At the same time, I also want to distinguish between the gesture and the reaction to it. Reflecting on my own behavior does not mean that I take responsibility for someone else’s reaction. Everyone remains responsible for controlling their own response.

What impact will the injury have on your sporting ambitions?

It’s a major setback for me. I’ll miss important international competitions, including the Grand Slam in Budapest and the World Championships in Baku. My Olympic qualification is also at risk as a result.

That’s particularly painful because, after a lengthy injury break, I had just worked my way back into international competition.

Nevertheless, I’m trying to look ahead. Once I’m healthy again, I want to gradually resume pursuing my sporting goals.

You’ve taken legal action. What do you hope will come of that?

It’s important to me that the incident is investigated objectively and on the basis of what actually happened.

As far as the criminal-law assessment is concerned, that’s a matter for the relevant authorities. I don’t want to preempt the proceedings or express expectations about any particular decision.

The sporting-law consequences are also a matter for the respective governing bodies. I therefore believe it would be inappropriate for me to make any demands. The federations are aware of the incident and will review it. I’m confident that the responsible bodies will assess the incident within the scope of their authority and in the interests of the sport.

One thing is a fact for me: to my knowledge, nothing like this has ever happened before in judo. And something like this must never happen again.

Japaridze has declined to apologize. Would you be willing to have a conversation with him after the criminal and sporting proceedings have concluded?

At this stage, I see no basis for that. Japaridze has not apologized to me so far. In addition, I first want to wait for the ongoing criminal and sporting proceedings to conclude and focus on my recovery.

I don’t want to speculate today about what happens after that. From my perspective, a conversation with Japaridze would first require an appropriate basis and, above all, a willingness to address what happened honestly and respectfully.

How are you dealing with the coverage on social media and the comments about the attack?

Of course, I‘m aware that there is a great deal of discussion and debate about what happened. I’m very grateful for the tremendous support I have received.

At the same time, there is also speculation and a lot of highly emotional commentary. I try not to let it affect me too much. I don’t want to get involved in public disputes, nor do I want to comment on every statement.

For me, what matters is that the incident is investigated objectively and that the actual sequence of events remains the focus.

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Judo stands for certain values and principles, particularly respect for one’s opponent. Has your view of the sport changed since the attack?

My fundamental view of judo has not changed. Precisely because respect, fairness and mutual regard are central values of our sport for me, the incident affected me particularly deeply.

Judo is a sport of great physical and emotional intensity. But that also means controlling your emotions and respecting the physical integrity of your opponent. The competition ends with its outcome. After that, the boundary must be clear.

That’s why I hope the incident will be investigated objectively and that, as a judo community, we’ll draw the right conclusions from it.

When do you plan to return to training and competition?

First, I have to observe the prescribed break from sports. After that, I can slowly start training again. When I’ll be able to compete again will depend on how my recovery progresses.

I don’t want to rush anything. A full recovery is my priority. Once my body is ready again, I’ll gradually return to training and then see when I’m able to compete again.

Outsports has contacted both the International Judo Federation and the Georgian Judo Federation for comment.

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