Arthur Margelidon

Biography

Arthur Margelidon was set to make his Olympic debut at Rio 2016, but unfortunately suffered a broken forearm during a training session just two weeks before the Games began. He instead went to Brazil as a spectator. When he did make his Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020, he fought his way through the repechage into a bronze medal match before ultimately finishing in a tie for fifth place in the men’s 73kg event. 

Margelidon will head to his second Olympic Games at Paris 2024, ranked ninth in the world in the men’s 73kg weight class. Throughout his career he has amassed seven Grand Slam medals (4 silver, 3 bronze) and two Masters medals, earning silver in 2018 and bronze in 2022.  Margelidon is a two-time Pan American Champion, winning 73kg gold in 2016 and 2024. 

Margelidon posted his career-best result at the IJF World Championships in 2023 when he finished fifth, an improvement on his seventh-place finish in 2022. At the 2024 World Championships, Margelidon advanced to the round of 32 where he lost to Ishihara Tatsuki of Japan who went on to win the silver medal.

Margelidon earned his first World Cup podiums in 2012, taking bronze in Miami and San Salvador. He represented Canada at two IJF Junior World Championships in 2011 and 2013. His first international gold medal came at the Oceanian Open Apia in November 2013. In February 2014, Margelidon made his first Grand Slam appearance in Paris. 

In 2015, he won silver at the Pan American Open Buenos Aires before winning bronze for his first medal at the Pan American Championships. He added another bronze medal at the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto. Just a week later, he achieved a then-career best Grand Slam result when he advanced to a bronze medal bout in Tyumen, eventually finishing fifth. In his senior IJF World Championship debut, he advanced to the third round. 

A Little More About Arthur

Getting into the Sport: Started in judo at age 6, encouraged by his judoka father… Outside Interests: Enjoys playing hockey, soccer, poker… Studying kinesiology at the Université du Quebec à Montréal… Odds and Ends: Favourite motto: “Pain is life but you can choose what type, either the pain on the road to success, or the pain of being hunted by regret.”… Inspired by Muhammad Ali because he showed that you don’t need people’s approval or blessing to do great things, you only need hard work…