Mark van der Ham, appointed Dutch national judo coach just over a year ago after the Netherlands won no Olympic judo medal for the first time in sixty years, has overseen a revival that brought gold and silver at this year's European Championships. As the World Championships open in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Sunday, Joanne van Lieshout (63kg) and Simeon Catharina (100kg) are the main medal hopes, after Van der Ham dropped centralised training in favour of individually tailored plans and closer work with clubs. The event will show whether the European success was a one-off, with Catharina, 28, admitting he does not enjoy judo but wants to reach the Olympics, while Van Lieshout, 23, the 2024 world champion, says she draws energy from improving.