Having competed on judo’s biggest stage four times, Jeff Allen is no stranger to the World Judo Championships, but he’s still searching for an elusive gold medal.
Allen, who was inducted into the Huntsville Hall of Fame in 2022, was joined by his son Lucas in Montreal, Que., for the National Canadian Judo Championships at the end of May. “Judo Jeff” as he’s known by many in Huntsville won a bronze in the Newaza (grappling) division and gold in the Masters +100 kg Heavyweight division. The younger Allen won a silver medal in the Under 21 Heavyweight division.
“It’s always fun to go to nationals and always a tough competition,” says Lucas Allen.
It’s three more medals for the Allens who travel throughout Ontario, Canada, and even into the United States for competitions. Jeff’s victory in the Masters division is his sixth consecutive and qualifies him for the World Judo Championships this Nov. in Las Vegas.
In Allen’s previous trips to the Worlds he finished 8th in 2015, won bronze in 2016, 4th in 2018, and silver in 2022.
He explains in his division, it’s for fighters over 220 lbs. so while he doesn’t know who he will be fighting yet, he could, in theory, face someone taller and much heavier than him. “I fought a guy from France he was about 360 lbs., 6’6″,” says Allen. He adds he’s beaten larger competitors before but with judo all about positioning and being able to overpower your opponent, going up against someone large poses a significant disadvantage.
Lucas was eligible to compete but is dealing with an injury so he will join his mom and sister in the crowd to cheer Judo Jeff on.
“I will yell at him from the sidelines, even though he may not be listening,” he jokes.
Since joining the Huntsville Judo Club in 2012, the elder Allen says he always makes a point to bring his family with him to competitions. “We’ll fight one day, and the next day go find something fun to do,” he says.
Allen says there is one person who he fought years ago that, like him, has a son who competes. At a recent competition, the sons fought while the dads watched from the stands.
Lucas Allen recently turned 18, so Jeff says it wasn’t long ago that he was running around the mats while in a contest. Now, years later, Allen says the same people who watched little Lucas goofing around are lining up against him during a competition.
However, it will likely be all business when the Allens arrive in Las Vegas in a few months’ time.
“You need to complete the collection,” says the younger Allen to his dad. “And hopefully down the road, I get the one for my division, too.”
