Not too long ago, April Fohouo was unsure if judo was even for her. A few years later, she is one of the fastest-rising names in the sport.
Raised in Lausanne, Switzerland, widely known as the ‘Olympic capital’, Fohouo’s early proximity to elite sport did not initially shape her ambitions. School trips to the Olympic Museum were, at first, simply that: part of the curriculum.
Only later did their significance begin to resonate. “When I started judo, I realised, ahh, this is the Olympic capital. Everything started to make sense,” she told the EJU in a recent interview.
Judo was one of three sports offered at her school, alongside tennis and equestrian, disciplines more traditionally associated with Switzerland. Of her classmates who took up the sport, Fohouo is the only one who remained, drawn in by what she describes as its strong “family atmosphere” at her club.
That connection, however, was not uninterrupted.
“When I saw the others competing, I was a bit scared, so I stopped for a year. I was around 12 or 13. But then I realised I needed judo back in my life. I returned to the club, and I just enjoyed it again. I felt really good in this sport.”
She began competing again in 2018, taking part in smaller regional events, before taking another break, this time unintentional, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The rapid rise of April Fohouo
Her rise becomes even more striking when traced step by step through the ranks.
In 2022, as pandemic restrictions eased, she returned to competition, collecting medals across a string of Cadet European Cups. Aside from a single appearance in the -63kg category before COVID, she has built her career in the under 70kg category, despite initially being, in her own words, “very light” for the division. Cutting weight only became necessary later, during her junior years.
By 2023, those results began to translate onto bigger stages. Podium finishes at European Cups were followed by a fifth place at the Junior World Championships, cementing the breakthrough year. “After my second or third European Cup, I finished third, and my coach told me about the European Championships,” she recalled. “I didn’t really know what it was. He explained it was a level above. When I started getting results, I thought, maybe I can really do something in this sport. Now I’m happy with what’s happened, and excited for what’s ahead.”
That momentum continued into 2024.
Fohouo claimed her first major title as the Junior European Champion in the under-70 kg category, then followed it with a silver medal at the Junior World Championships. The shift in status was not lost on her. “On the day of the competition, I realised, your name matters now. You have a title.”
Later in 2024, she stepped onto the senior World Judo Tour, gaining valuable experience against more established opponents as she prepared for her final pushes on the junior level.
Entering the 2025 Junior European Championships as defending champion, she felt, by her own admission, “a bit of pressure,” and ultimately settled for silver. In the immediate aftermath, the defeat hit hard. “In that moment, it felt like the end of my life. I thought, this is not possible, I didn’t come here for this,” she said.
“But then I told myself there is no way back. If I don’t have gold here, I have to take it at the World Championships. I told my coach, my parents, everyone, if I don’t win gold, maybe I’ll stop judo.”
Weeks later, she sealed her fate.
At the 2025 Junior World Championships, Fohouo rose to the very top of the podium, securing the most prestigious title of her young career: world junior champion. All of it achieved within just three years, no less.
“It’s the first time that, in the juniors, we have a Swiss champion,” she said. “I was very proud, and for Switzerland, it is also something unusual to have a title, because we are not so many. I was really happy to bring a bit of myself into Swiss judo history.”
She also pointed to Switzerland’s only other world champion, Nils Stump, who claimed the senior world title in 2023 at -73kgs, as an important figure for the next generation. Fohouo spoke of his willingness to share knowledge, noting how “he always takes time for the next generation”, whether through technical advice or breaking down elements such as kumi kata during training camps.
Fohouo’s transition to the seniors
Having transitioned to seniors, Fohouo no longer brings the same do-or-die mentality as she did leading up to the junior world championships.
“The transition was really great,” she said. “I’m happy I had already fought in seniors before, because I knew a bit about the level, the athletes, and how everything works.”
What she has encountered on the World Judo Tour is a more measured, tactical style of judo. “Seniors are more strategic,” she explained. “There’s more thinking, more movement, more detail. You can see it in my contests, I pick up more shidos now,” she added with a smile. “In juniors, it was faster, more instinctive. You didn’t think so much about stepping out or managing the situation. In seniors, everything counts. When you have two shidos, you feel the pressure immediately; you have to act. That’s a big difference.”
The -70kg category, she believes, is among the most competitive in the sport. “Everyone is really strong. It’s a very tough category right now.”
Since claiming her junior world title, the Swiss star has wasted little time making an impression at the senior level. In her first two major appearances, she reached the final on both occasions, taking silvers at the prestigious 2026 Paris Grand Slam and the Upper Austria Grand Prix, one month later.
“My first real senior competition was Paris, and it was incredible,” she said. “Every year I watched that event, sometimes even in the arena, supporting friends. This time it was me, and I had a really great result. I’m very happy with how the transition has gone.”
Attention now turns to the upcoming European Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia, from 16-19 April. Despite her early success, Fohouo remains grounded in her expectations.
“I feel good about Europeans,” she said.
“Even with two medals, I don’t feel like I have anything to prove yet. I don’t have a senior European title, and that’s not my final goal anyway. If things don’t go my way, I know there’s something to learn. It will be a great experience. I don’t feel too much pressure, I just want to do my judo, do my best, and see how it goes.”
Judoka
Author: Grace Goulding