The Wallonia-Brussels Judo Federation welcomes its new head coach, Pedro Guedes. At 44, Pedro Guedes becomes the new Head Coach of the Wallonia-Brussels Judo Federation. After coaching the German national team, the Brazilian coach is now settling in Belgium to bring all his expertise to French-speaking judokas.
A former high-level judoka, the Brazilian shone on the international stage, notably winning a medal at the highly competitive Tokyo tournament in 2007, before turning to a career in coaching. After starting out in Slovenia, notably alongside world medallist Rok Draksic, Pedro Guedes moved to Canada, where he worked with world champion and Olympic medallist Jessica Klimkait. He then took charge of the German men’s team, which he led until the Paris Olympic Games in 2024.
With his solid international experience, he is now a recognised coach taking the reins of our senior team.
‘After the departure of Cédric Taymans, who led the team for more than 15 years, we put out a call for applications and received more than thirty submissions, mostly from abroad,’ explains Damien Bomboir, JWB’s sports coordinator. “We contacted several coaches, including Pedro, who was already in demand elsewhere. When we spoke, the discussions quickly progressed in the right direction. He was unanimously approved by the Coordination Council – which I form with Frédéric Georgery and Tamerlan Dunaev – and his enthusiasm for taking on this challenge convinced us. His first visit to Louvain-la-Neuve confirmed our choice, and his commitment quickly became a reality.”
A polyglot – he speaks five languages, including perfect French – and an excellent technician, Pedro Guedes particularly impressed the Judo Wallonie Bruxelles federation with his ability to bring people together.
“I’ve known Pedro for a long time. We’re from the same generation. I first met him as an athlete – he trained extremely hard, with real rigour – and then as a coach. Even back then, he had a special charisma and a real ability to motivate those around him. He is someone who lives for his work, who likes to set himself high goals and who passes on this high standard to his athletes. His high standards, rigour and ability to bring people together are his great strengths,” sums up Damien Bomboir.
For his debut in his new role, Pedro Guedes will accompany some of the elite athletes from the Wallonia-Brussels Judo Federation, including Gabriella Willems, to the Olympic Training Camp in Samorin, Slovakia, from 22 to 26 September.