{{Short description|Angolan judoka (born 1997)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}} {{Infobox judoka | image = <!-- name.jpg --> | image_size = <!-- only when absolutely necessary --> | alt = | caption = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1997|5|23|df=y}} | birth_place = Luanda, Angola <!-- Sport --> | weight_class = {{nbnd}}66 kg | rank = <!-- Belt color ONLY. Automated when "dan" is used. --> | rank_ref = | dan = <!-- Dan rank (number, 1-11), for Black belts only --> | club = <!-- Achievements and titles --> | olympics_rank = R32 | olympics_year = 2024 | olympics_weight = Men's 66 kg | worlds_rank = R32 | worlds_year = 2024 | worlds_weight = Men's 66 kg | regionals_type = AF | regionals_rank = 1 | regionals_year = 2022 | regionals_weight = <!-- Optional – To link to specific weightclass competition article (when one exists) --> | regionals_year2 = 2025 | regionals_weight2 = <!-- Optional – To link to specific weightclass competition article (when one exists) --> | nationals = <!-- Medal record --> | show-medals = | medaltemplates = {{Medal|Sport| Men's judo }} {{Medal|Country| {{ANG}} }} {{Medal|Competition| African Championships }} {{Medal|G| 2022 Oran | {{nbnd}}66 kg }} {{Medal|G| 2025 Abidjan | {{nbnd}}66 kg }} {{Medal|S| 2026 Nairobi | {{nbnd}}66 kg }} {{Medal|B| 2024 Cairo | {{nbnd}}66 kg }} | updated = 26 April 2026 }}
'''Edmilson Pedro''' (born 23 May 1997) is an Angolan judoka. He qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics and was named his country's flag bearer.
==Biography== Pedro was born on 23 May 1997 in Angola.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.judoinside.com/judoka/122318/Edmilson_Pedro/judo-results|website=JudoInside.com|title=Edmilson Pedro}}</ref> He said that he "started practicing judo from the cradle", following after his older brothers who competed in the sport.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Martins, Marco |date=23 February 2023 |title=Edmilson Pedro: «Quero levar o nome de Angola aos Jogos Olímpicos-2024» |trans-title=Edmilson Pedro: “I want to take the name of Angola to the Olympic Games-2024" |url=https://www.rfi.fr/pt/angola/20230223-edmilson-pedro-quero-levar-o-nome-de-angola-aos-jogos-ol%C3%ADmpicos-2024 |publisher=Radio France Internationale |language=pt}}</ref> He is nicknamed {{lang|pt|Bicho Papão}} (Bogeyman in Portuguese) and competed for the judo department of the club Interclube.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.pressreader.com/angola/jornal-de-angola/20240626/282050512251952|newspaper=Jornal de Angola|via=PressReader.com|title=Edmilson apurado para os Jogos Olímpicos|date=26 June 2024|language=Portuguese|trans-title=Edmilson qualified for the Olympic Games|author=Napoleão, Rosa}}</ref><ref name="auto2">{{Cite news|url=https://www.jornaldeangola.ao/ao/noticias/judo-edmilson-pedro-homenageado-pelo-comite-olimpico-angolano/|newspaper=Jornal de Angola|language=Portuguese|title=Judo: Edmilson Pedro homenageado pelo Comité Olímpico Angolano|date=28 February 2023|trans-title=Judo: Edmilson Pedro honored by the Angolan Olympic Committee}}</ref>
Pedro made his debut for the national team at the 2015 African Judo Championships.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.portaldeangola.com/judoca-do-interclube-sagra-se-campeao-africano/|newspaper=Portal de Angola|title=Judoca do Interclube sagra-se campeão africano|date=28 May 2022|language=Portuguese|trans-title=Interclube judoka becomes African champion}}</ref> He became a decorated judoka in the Angolan ranks: by 2022, he had won the Luanda Province championship 10 times and the national championship eight times, also having been the national runner-up five times and provincial runner-up eight times.<ref name="auto1"/> He participated at the 2018 African Judo Championships, placing seventh, and also competed at the 2018 World Judo Championships.<ref name="auto"/>
In 2022, Pedro competed at the African Judo Championships and won a gold medal in the 66 kg event.<ref name="auto1"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://platinaline.com/conheca-edmilson-pedro-o-angolano-campeao-de-africa-de-judo-em-2022/|website=PlatinaLine.com|title=Conheça Edmilson Pedro- O angolano campeão de África de Judo em 2022|date=8 July 2022|author=De Sousa, Rosa|language=Portuguese|trans-title=Meet Edmilson Pedro- The Angolan African Judo Champion in 2022}}</ref> Later that year, he competed at African Open tournaments in Yaoundé and Dakar, winning gold at both.<ref name="auto"/> For his 2022 season, he was honored by the Angolan Olympic Committee as the nation's best male judoka.<ref name="auto2"/> By February 2023, he had a global ranking in his weight class of 36th.<ref name="auto2"/> His 2023 season included a silver medal at the African Open in Tunis and a gold at the African Open tournament in Luanda.<ref name="auto"/>
Pedro won bronze at the 2024 African Judo Championships and gold at the 2024 African Open in Luanda.<ref name="auto"/> He qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics as the only Angolan judoka at the games, as well as the first-ever Angolan in the 66 kg weight class.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://jornal-desportivo.pt/2024/07/24/edmilson-pedro-leva-o-nome-do-sintrense-aos-jogos-olimpicos-2024/|newspaper=Jornal Desportivo|language=Portuguese|date=24 July 2024|title=Edmilson Pedro leva o nome do Sintrense aos Jogos Olímpicos-2024|trans-title=Edmilson Pedro takes Sintrense's name to the 2024 Olympic Games|author=Nunes, Miguel}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.verangola.net/va/en/062024/Sports/40508/Angolan-judoka-Edmilson-Pedro-qualifies-for-the-Paris-2024-Olympic-Games.htm|newspaper=Ver Angola|title=Angolan judoka Edmilson Pedro qualifies for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games|author=Costa, Tatiana|date=25 June 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.angop.ao/noticias/desporto/edmilson-pedro-ultima-preparacao-para-paris-em-portugal/|agency=Angola Press News Agency|language=Portuguese|title=Edmilson Pedro ultima preparação para Paris em Portugal|date=18 July 2024|trans-title=Edmilson Pedro final preparation for Paris in Portugal}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.jornaldeangola.ao/ao/noticias/edmilson-e-andresa-miram-ouro/|newspaper=Jornal de Angola|title=Edmilson e Andresa miram ouro|date=6 April 2024|trans-title=Edmilson and Andresa aim for gold|author=Francisco, Adilson|language=Portuguese}}</ref> He was the co-Angolan flag bearer at the opening Olympic ceremony.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://stillmed.olympics.com/media/Documents/News/2024/07/paris-2024-flagbearers.pdf|title=Paris 2024 {{!}} Opening ceremony flagbearers information|date=26 July 2024|publisher=International Olympic Committee}}</ref> He lost to Serdar Rahimov of Turkmenistan in the round of 32 and did not advance.
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Sports links}} * {{The-Sports}} * {{Facebook}} {{s-start}} {{s-sports|oly}} {{succession box | before = Natália Bernardo<br />Matias Montinho | title = Flag bearer for {{ANG}} | years = Paris 2024<br />with <br />Azenaide Carlos | after = '''Incumbent''' }} {{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pedro, Edmilson}} Category:1997 births Category:Living people Category:Angolan male judoka Category:Olympic judoka for Angola Category:Judoka at the 2024 Summer Olympics