Spittka and Bazynski out in Germany

Germany have a new problem finding a new head coach and technical director. The German Judo Federation (DJB) and men’s national coach Marko Spittka have decided to go their separate ways after less than a year of cooperation. Spittka, who had taken up the position in December 2024, leaves after what the federation officially described as a “personal reorientation”. Michael Bazynski left as technical director after that decision.

The 54-year-old coach returned to Germany following a successful international coaching career. Most notably, he was part of the Uzbek national coaching structure that celebrated Olympic gold with Diyora Keldiyorova. His appointment in Germany was seen as an attempt to bring new impulses to the men’s programme, although the scale of the challenge was clear from the beginning.

Spittka has long been known as a demanding and highly driven coach, qualities that have brought him success but can also require strong alignment within a federation structure. The cooperation with the German federation has now come to an earlier end than expected, with the DJB thanking him publicly for his contribution.

The decision may have triggered a second important departure. German technical director and board member Michael Bazynski chose to step down from his position following the development and his desire to be with his family more often. The experienced judo manager, now 67, has played a significant role in the careers of multiple Olympic medallists from both Germany and the Netherlands.

Bazynski is expected to remain connected to the sport in a mentoring capacity, as many athletes and coaches continue to value his knowledge and long experience in elite judo, but feels like he would need to be more at home.

For Spittka, this is unlikely to be the end of his international coaching journey. Earlier in his career he achieved strong results as Austrian national coach and has demonstrated that he can operate successfully in international high performance environments. Given his track record, new opportunities abroad would not come as a surprise.

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