Guided by the International Judo Federation media team, Gianni Merlo went behind the scenes of the event to see how this first Swiss grand slam is operating from within. “It is always interesting to discover an event such as this grand slam from the inside, to understand how it works,” he said. “What I can see immediately is that we have a very good installation here, a modern and functional arena with a great deal of potential.”
For three days, the Vaudoise Arena has become the home of judo. Opened in 2019 as part of Lausanne’s major Malley sports complex, the multi-purpose venue is best known as the home of Lausanne HC and has a main arena capacity of 9,600 spectators. It was not built for judo but its transformation for the Ecole Mont-Olivet Lausanne Grand Slam demonstrates both its versatility and the ambition behind bringing the World Judo Tour to Switzerland for the first time.
For Merlo, that first experience is an essential step. “It is very important to test a venue for the first time,” he explained. “It is a large arena and everything must be studied carefully to find solutions for the future. It is a very good test for the media. I do not see any major problems, only details to refine, but everything is very encouraging.” For an organising committee working for months to bring this inaugural event to life, those words carry real value.
More than 70 media representatives have been accredited in Lausanne, already a clear sign of the interest generated by the event. According to the AIPS president, that attention is the result of a long-term process. “Under the leadership of President Marius Vizer, judo has developed enormously; you can see it year after year. Having 77 countries registered speaks for itself. I also think that bringing schools here today is a very good thing. That is how we prepare the future.”
The partnership between the IJF and AIPS is built on precisely this shared conviction; sport needs visibility, not simply for the pleasure of being seen but because its stories have the power to inspire. Through the journeys, struggles and achievements of hundreds of athletes, judo can reach far beyond the competition venue. It can encourage a child in the stands to take their first step onto a tatami, offer a journalist a story worth telling and remind an entire audience of what sport can mean.
In Lausanne, the foundations are strong. The arena is working, the media are present, the public is engaged and the athletes are delivering the judo that everyone came to see. Thank you to Gianni Merlo for his expertise, his precise eye and his forthright assessment. His verdict is encouraging; this new chapter for Swiss judo has begun with real promise.