View source for Craig Fallon

{{Short description|British judoka (1982–2019)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox judoka
| name        = Craig Fallon
| image       = Craig Fallon.jpg
| caption     = Fallon in 2008
| birth_name  = Craig Patrick Fallon
| nickname    = 
| nationality = British
| residence   = 
| birth_date  = {{birth date|df=y|1982|12|18}}
| birth_place = [[Ipswich]], [[Suffolk]], England
| death_date  = {{death date and age|df=yes|2019|7|15|1982|12|18}}
| death_place = [[Wellington, Shropshire]], England
<!-- Sport -->
| country      =
| sport        = 
| weight_class = –60 kg
| rank         = <!-- Belt color ONLY. Automated when "dan" is used. -->
| rank_ref     = 
| dan          = <!-- Dan rank (number, 1-11), for Black belts only -->
| collegeteam  = 
| club         = 
| team         = 
| turnedpro    = 
| coach        = 
| retired      = 
| coaching     = 
<!-- Achievements and titles -->
| worlds_rank       = 1
| worlds_year       = 2005
| worlds_weight     = <!-- Optional – To link to specific weightclass competition article (when one exists) -->
| regionals_type    = EU
| regionals_rank    = 1
| regionals_year    = 2006
| regionals_weight  = <!-- Optional – To link to specific weightclass competition article (when one exists) -->
| nationals         = 
| olympics_rank     = 7
| olympics_year     = 2008
| olympics_weight   = Men's 60 kg
| highestranking    = 
<!-- Medal record -->
| show-medals    = yes
| medaltemplates =
{{Medal|Sport| Men's [[Judo]] }}
{{Medal|Country| {{GBR2}} }}
{{Medal|Competition| [[World Judo Championships|World Championships]] }}
{{Medal|G| [[2005 World Judo Championships|2005 Cairo]] | –60 kg }}
{{Medal|S| [[2003 World Judo Championships|2003 Osaka]] | –60 kg }}
{{Medal|Competition| [[European Judo Championships|European Championships]] }}
{{Medal|G| [[2006 European Judo Championships|2006 Tampere]] | –60 kg }}
{{Medal|S| [[2003 European Judo Championships|2003 Düsseldorf]] | –60 kg }}
{{Medal|Competition| [[European U23 Judo Championships|European U23 Championships]] }}
{{Medal|G| [[2004 European U23 Judo Championships|2004 Ljubljana]] | –60 kg }}
{{Medal|Competition| [[European Junior Judo Championships|European Junior Championships]] }}
{{Medal|S| [[2001 European Junior Judo Championships|2001 Budapest]] | –60 kg }}
{{MedalCountry | {{ENG}} }}
{{Medal|Competition| [[Commonwealth Games]] }}
{{Medal|G|[[2002 Commonwealth Games|2002 Manchester]] | –60kg }}
| updated = 12 February 2022
}}

'''Craig Patrick Fallon''' (18 December 1982 – 15 July 2019)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britishjudo.org.uk/obituary-craig-fallon/|title=Obituary: Craig Fallon|website=Britishjudo.org.uk|date=16 July 2019}}</ref> was a British World Champion [[judo#Judoka (practitioner)|judoka]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.judoinside.com/judoka/11412/Craig_Fallon/judo-photos|title=Craig Fallon profile |website=Judo Inside |access-date=16 August 2022}}</ref>

==Career==
His first main coach was Bill Kelly. Fallon later competed with his coach Fitzroy Davis. In 2002, he won the gold medal in the [[2002 Commonwealth Games results|under 60kg category]] at the [[2002 Commonwealth Games]] in Manchester.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://sport.guardian.co.uk/athens2004/story/0,14529,1265029,00.html|title=Fallon gets biggest kicks from chasing glory |website=The Guardian |date=20 July 2004 |access-date=16 August 2022|last1=Phillips |first1=Michael }}</ref>

In September 2005, Fallon won the -60&nbsp;kg weight class at the [[2005 World Judo Championships|World Judo Championships in Cairo]], beating [[Ludwig Paischer]] in the final. He became only the third British male to win a world title, following [[Neil Adams (judoka)|Neil Adams]] in 1981 and [[Graeme Randall]] in 1999.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/4235694.stm|title=Fallon is crowned world champion |website=BBC Sport |date=11 September 2005 |access-date=16 August 2022}}</ref> The following year in 2006, he went on to become European champion in Tampere, Finland in the -60&nbsp;kg weight category beating [[Armen Nazaryan (judoka)|Armen Nazaryan]] in the final. He is only the second male British judoka besides Neil Adams to simultaneously hold both a World and European title.{{citation needed|date=July 2019}}

On 22 September 2007, Fallon went on to win The 2007 Men's World Cup in the -60&nbsp;kg at the NIA Arena in Birmingham, he was the only Brit to win a medal at the Olympic ranking event.{{citation needed|date=July 2019}} In 2011 Fallon won his third title at the [[British Judo Championships]], having previously won in 2002 and 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.britishjudo.org.uk/my-judo/competition-organisation/results/|title=British Judo Championship Results 2003 to present |website=British Judo |access-date=16 August 2022}}</ref>

In 2012, the former [[Wolverhampton Judo Club]] ace was inducted into the Wolverhampton Sporting Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/council/news/2012/september/100912a.htm|archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20121006031153/http%3A//www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/council/news/2012/september/100912a.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 October 2012|title=More sporting heroes prepare to enter city's Hall of Fame|publisher=Wolverhampton City Council|accessdate=17 March 2013}}</ref>

In 2017, Fallon signed a contract as head coach of the Federal Judo Association of Vorarlberg, [[Austria]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vol.at/weltmeister-fallon-hilft-judo-auf-die-spruenge/5276915|title=Weltmeister Fallon hilft Judo auf die Sprünge|website=Vol.at|date=11 May 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://judo-vorarlberg.at/judo-weltmeister-craig-fallon-neuer-landestrainer/|title=Judo-Weltmeister Craig Fallon neuer Landestrainer |website=Judo Vorarlberg |date=10 May 2017 |access-date=16 August 2022}}</ref> In 2019, Fallon made the move to Welsh Judo Association to become Head of Coaching.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ijf.org/news/show/WelshJudo|title=Welsh Judo appoints Craig Fallon as Head of Coaching|website=Ijf.org}}</ref>

==Death==
Fallon died on 15 July 2019. His body was found at the Wrekin, a beauty spot near Wellington in Shropshire.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.judoinside.com/news/3499/British_judo_legend_Craig_Fallon_dies_at_age_of_36|title=British judo legend Craig Fallon dies at age of 36|website=judoinside.com}}</ref> No cause of death was given.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/judo/49004171|title=Craig Fallon: Former world and European judo champion dies at 36|work=BBC Sport |date=16 July 2019}}</ref> The coroner at the inquest judged that Fallon had died by suicide.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/judo/2019/10/30/coroner-judges-former-british-judo-champion-craig-fallon-killed/ |title=Coroner judges that former British Judo champion Craig Fallon killed himself |first=Jeremy|last= Wilson|date=30 October 2019|work=The Telegraph}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Sports links}}

{{WC Judo Men's Extra Lightweight}}
{{EC Judo M60}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fallon, Craig}}
[[Category:1982 births]]
[[Category:2019 deaths]]
[[Category:2019 suicides]]
[[Category:English male judoka]]
[[Category:Judoka at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Judoka at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic judoka for Great Britain]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Ipswich]]
[[Category:Place of death missing]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists for England]]
[[Category:Judoka at the 2002 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:World judo champions]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists in judo]]
[[Category:Medallists at the 2002 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Suicides in England]]
[[Category:21st-century English sportsmen]]
[[Category:20th-century English sportsmen]]