Craig Fallon death: British judo world champion found dead aged 36 days after going missing

Fallon has been described as 'one of the true greats of British judo.'
AFP/Getty Images

Former world judo champion Craig Fallon has been found dead on a Shropshire hillside aged 36.

Fallon was the last British judo fighter to win a world title, also winning gold at the Commonwealth Games and twice competing in the Olympics.

Police began a search after he was reported missing by his family over the weekend.

His body was found at The Wrekin, a well-known beauty spot near his home in Telford, in the early hours of Monday.

Fallon and Israel's Gal Yekutiel compete in the men's under-60kg category at the 2005 World Judo Championships .
REUTERS

No cause of death has been disclosed but West Mercia police said circumstances were not suspicious.

Fallon won the -60kg final at the World Championships in 2005 before claiming the 2006 European Championships and winning the 2007 World Cup.

He won the Commonwealth title for England in 2002, competed in the 2004 Athens Olympics and finished seventh at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 before retiring three years later.

Fallon retired from competing in 2011, taking up coaching in Austria and Wales
Getty Images

He took up coaching in 2011 and, after two years working in Austria, was appointed head coach of the Welsh Judo Association (WJA) in March.

His friend and former coach Fitzroy Davis said: “Knowing Craig from the age of 15, I can look back on our time working together with fond memories and fun times.

“At the pinnacle of his career, winning the World Championships in Cairo 2005, he was in my eyes one of the true greats of British Judo.

“His dedication to the sport he loved will stay with me forever and I will cherish the time we spent together.

“Craig will be a huge loss to the sport but I hope his achievements and his incredible story will inspire future generations to come.”

The WJA also paid tribute to Fallon, with Chief executive Darren Warner saying: "Our heartfelt sympathies are with his family during this difficult time. He was only with the organisation for a short time but was a joy to work with and will be sorely missed."

British Judo performance director Nigel Donohue hailed Fallon as "the most talented judoka” he had ever seen.

Fallon leaves behind a partner and son
Getty Images

He said: "It is with great shock to hear of the passing of Craig.

"Craig is a son and father, as well as an outstanding judo fighter of his generation in world judo."

He added that Fallon was "the most talented judoka I have ever had the pleasure to watch competing for Great Britain", and that he will be "greatly missed by his family and the judo world".

Fallon leaves behind a partner and son.

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