Elvis Gordon

Elvis Gordon
6th Dan

Personal information

Birth name

Elvis Anthony Gordon

Nickname

The Cat^[1]

National team

England

Born

23 June 1958
Hanover, Jamaica

Died

6 May 2011 (aged 52)
Wolverhampton, England, UK

Height

1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)

Weight

132 kg (291 lb; 20.8 st)

Sport

Country

Great Britain

Sport

Judo

Weight class

Heavyweight (over 95kg)

Rank

Rokudan^[2]

Club

Wolverhampton Judo Club (1971–1992)
Neil Adams Club (1992–1993)

Achievements and titles

Highest world ranking

2nd (1987)

Medal record

Men's Judo

Representing England
Commonwealth Games
	1986 Edinburgh	+95
	1990 Auckland	Open
	1990 Auckland	+95
Representing United Kingdom
World Championships
	1987 Essen	Open
European Championships
	1988 Pamplona	Open
	1985 Hamar	Open
	1992 Paris	Open
World Cups/Continental Open
	1989 World Masters Rüsselsheim	+95
	1989 Tournoi de Paris	+95
	1992 World Masters Munich	+95
European Team Championships
	1987 Paris	Team
	1990 Dubrovnik	Team
	1992 Leonding	Team
International Tournaments
	1981 Welsh Senior Open Cardiff	+95
	1985 British Masters Birmingham	+95
	1985 British Open London	+95
	1986 German Open Rüsselsheim	+95
	1987 Scottish Open Edinburgh	+95
	1988 Matsutaro Shoriki Cup Tokyo	+95
	1989 British Open London	+95
	1991 Scottish Open Edinburgh	+95
	1991 British Open London	+95
	1992 British Open London	+95
	1982 Dutch Open Kerkrade	+95
	1983 Dutch Open Kerkrade	+95
	1984 British Open London	+95
	1984 Belgian Open Gent	+95
	1983 Belgian Open Gent	+95
	1986 Tournoi de Paris	+95
	1987 Tournoi de Paris	+95
	1989 Sungkop Tournament Seoul	+95
	1990 Wolverhampton Judo Masters	Open
	1990 British Open London	+95
	1992 Belgian Open Championships Visé	+95
	1993 British Open Birmingham	+95
	1995 US Open Macon Georgia	+95

Elvis Gordon (23 June 1958 – 11 May 2011) was a Jamaican-born English heavyweight judoka who won numerous medals representing Great Britain.^[3] He competed for Great Britain at the 1984, 1988 and 1992 Olympic games.^[4] Gordon won silver in the 1987 World Judo Championships, was European champion in 1988, and Commonwealth champion in 1986 and 1990.^[5] He retired from competitive judo in 1993, and subsequently competed at the 1994 Sumo World Championships as a wrestler in the heavyweight category.^[6] In 2009, he made a brief return to judo, winning silver at the 2009 British Masters Championship in the men's 50–54 years over-100 kg category.^[7]

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Transcription

Early life

Gordon was born on 23 June 1958 in Hanover, Jamaica.^[1] He emigrated to Britain with his family in 1967, settling in Wolverhampton, West Midlands.^[8] Gordon began studying judo in 1972 at Northicote School, Wolverhampton, and joined the Wolverhampton Judo Club, coached by Malcolm "Mac" Abbotts. Abbotts said of him: "I couldn't believe the strength in him, even at that age." As a teenager, Gordon drifted from judo into powerlifting, and came 2nd in the under-19 national powerlifting championships at age 15.^[1]^[9]

Major achievements

3 x times Olympian (1984, 1988, 1992)
World Championship silver medal (1987)
3 x times Commonwealth gold medallist (1986 x2, 1990)
European Championship gold (1988) and 2 bronze 1985 & 1992)
8 x times champion of Great Britain at the British Judo Championships 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985 (+open), 1987, 1989, 1991.^[10]
In 1986, he won the bronze medal in the 95kg weight category at the judo demonstration sport event as part of the 1986 Commonwealth Games.^[11]

Later life

After retiring from competitive sport, Gordon was employed as the caretaker at Moseley Park School in Bilston, West Midlands, where he also provided judo coaching.^[1]^[12] In 2010, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and died in May 2011.^[1]^[13] Following Gordon's death, students at his place of work chose to name the school's new gymnasium after him. Nick Elwiss, the head teacher, said: "He was held in extremely high regard by staff and pupils and is fondly remembered by us all."^[14]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Elvis Gordon: British international judo fighter who won the European title and came close to being a world champion". The Times. London. 10 June 2011. p. 64. Retrieved 11 December 2016 – via InfoTrac.
^ "Dan Grade Register: Elvis Gordon". British Judo. 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
^ Nicksan, Philip (4 April 1993). "Gordon's argument tarnishes his sport: Off-mat mayhem mars British Open". The Independent. London. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
^ "Judo champ cancer death". Sunday Mercury. Birmingham. 8 May 2011. p. 18. Retrieved 11 December 2016 – via InfoTrac.
^ "Why region shines at producing Olympic champions". Birmingham Post. Birmingham. 23 August 2001. p. 2.
^ Chadband, Ian (27 November 1994). "Elvis can't help falling in love with sumo". The Sunday Times. London. p. 18.
^ "British Masters Championships 2009" (PDF). British Judo. 3 October 2009. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
^ Weaver, Paul (12 November 1994). "Elvis in canvas nappy shock: Paul Weaver on the expanding sumo career of Britain's former top judo man". The Guardian. London. p. 19.
^ Nicksan, Philip (17 September 1985). "Adams out to beat the world". The Times. London. p. 26.
^ "British Championships - Event results". Judo Inside. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
^ "Commonwealth Games Edinburgh - Event". Judo Inside. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
^ "Judo champ Elvis Gordon loses brave fight with cancer". Express & Star. Wolverhampton. 7 May 2011. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
^ "Judo champion Elvis Gordon is fighting cancer". Express & Star. Wolverhampton. 28 December 2010. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
^ "Gym named after judo legend Elvis Gordon". Express & Star. Wolverhampton. 17 October 2012. Retrieved 10 December 2016.