Karate, Dead Claudio Guazzaroni: blue coach of Busà in Tokyo 2020

“Your smile was our best gift. We will continue to love you incessantly.” With these words, Fijlkam mourns the death of Claudio Guazzaroni, the blue coach who only 5 months ago accompanied Luigi Busà to conquer the historic gold medal in Tokyo 2020. A bad tumor, discovered just before the Olympic adventure, if the ‘is taken away in no time. This year he would have turned 61 on February 27. Claudio leaves a great void in the world of Italian and world karate of which he was and will always be an icon. From the seventies to today, his name has always been synonymous with this discipline. Humble, reserved, kind and with a big heart, Claudio was the gentle giant of Italian karate. Among the most successful karateka ever, even before becoming the most successful coach in Italian history, in November he received the Palme d’Or for sporting merit from Coni and in December his eighth dan.

THE CARREER

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Born in 1961 in Orte, he began to take his first steps on the tatami as a child in the company of his three brothers. Falling in love with this discipline, he then dedicated a whole life to its service, becoming one of the most important kumite champions in the Italian and world panorama. Italian champion from 1979 to 1993, in the national team he made the history of karate, wearing the blue with his brother Gianluca. His rich international palmares counts 3 silver and 1 bronze world championships, 2 golds and 1 bronze medals at the World Games, 2 golds, 1 silver and 8 bronzes at the European championships. Not to mention the great team successes: 1 silver and 3 bronze medals at the World Championships and 2 silver at the European Team Championships. The challenges between his team from the Carabinieri Sports Center and that of the Fiamme Gialle are legendary.

GOLD IN TOKYO

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His coaching career was also brilliant, to say the least. As head coach of the Italian national team, for twenty years he followed great champions such as Greta Vitelli, Sara Cardin and Luigi Busà. In July, precisely for his Gigi, he gritted his teeth, forcefully and without ever giving up, characteristics that have always distinguished him in his life path: despite the disease, discovered shortly before the Olympics, he did everything to be present in Japan and to help Luigi win the most important victory of all, the one that Claudio could only dream of. Before Tokyo, in fact, karate had never been an Olympic sport. And that dream was able to turn it into reality: a gold medal for Busà and a gold medal for him, the one that the “Gorilla d’Avola” gave him, recreating an identical copy. “From 2002 to today always together – wrote Busá in a long post on social media -. You always behind me in that chair where many think it is easy to be, but it is not. You were my first hug in every happy moment, but also my first pat on the back in sad moments. At the Olympics you were a superhero for me and I want everyone to know that if I won the Olympic gold it is only thanks to you. I will always be grateful to you. Together we have won everything ” .

THE MEMORY

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Many demonstrations of affection coming from social networks. Athletes, colleagues, managers, the whole world of karate is gathering around the pain of the Guazzaroni family in memory of a champion who was first of all a great man, a great friend and a great teacher. “His sincere, loyal and direct way of relating with everyone has always distinguished him and placed him in the eternal Olympus of karate – wrote Davide Benetello -. We have all lost a friend and a person of immense value”. Sara Cardin, on the other hand, has few words, who with Claudio at her side has risen several times on world and European podiums: “I love you. Always your hand on my shoulder. Thank you”, sharing lots of photos and videos of their training and competitions together . The city of Terni is also grieving, where Claudio lived and where he built his gym “Guazzaroni Fitness” which has become an important center of martial arts. A loss that leaves an impossible void to fill for all that Claudio Guazzaroni has managed to give to the Italian sports world, not only for the goals achieved and the immense competence, but also and above all for the lessons of life that he transmitted to all its small and large athletes. It is no coincidence that, as described on the website of his sports center, “My dream is that the Guazzaroni Gym can be ‘Everyone’s gym, for everyone'”.