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Loretta Doyle

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Loretta Doyle
Personal information
Full nameLoretta Cusack-Doyle
Born (1963-07-12) 12 July 1963 (age 62)
OccupationJudoka
Spouse
​
(divorced)​
Sport
CountryGreat Britain
SportJudo
Weight class‍–‍52 kg, ‍–‍56 kg
Rank     9th dan black belt[1][2]
Achievements and titles
World Champ.Gold (1982)
European Champ.Gold (1983, 1992)
Commonwealth GamesGold (1990)
Medal record
Women's judo
Representing  Great Britain
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1982 Paris ‍–‍52 kg
Bronze medal – third place 1980 New York ‍–‍56 kg
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 1983 Genoa ‍–‍52 kg
Gold medal – first place 1992 Paris ‍–‍52 kg
Silver medal – second place 1981 Madrid ‍–‍52 kg
Silver medal – second place 1982 Oslo ‍–‍52 kg
Silver medal – second place 1991 Prague ‍–‍52 kg
Bronze medal – third place 1980 Udine ‍–‍56 kg
Bronze medal – third place 1986 London ‍–‍52 kg
Representing  Scotland
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place 1990 Auckland ‍–‍56 kg
Silver medal – second place 1986 Edinburgh ‍–‍52 kg
Profile at external databases
IJF14988
JudoInside.com4924
Updated on 3 February 2025

Loretta Doyle (also known by her married name Cusack, born 12 July 1963)[3] is a Scottish judoka who won the under-52 kg event at the 1982 World Championships, and the under-56 kg event at the 1990 Commonwealth Games. Doyle also won the European Championships in 1983 and 1992.

Career

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Doyle started judo at the age of 10, and three years later, she joined the British Judo team.[4] Doyle competed at the inaugural World Judo Championships for women in New York 1980. She was one of seven judoka at the event, and won a bronze medal.[5] She came third at the 1980 European Championships, and second at the 1981 and 1982 European Championships.[3] She won the under-52 kg title at the 1982 World Championships.[6] Doyle won the under-52 kg event at the 1983 European Championships in Genoa, Italy.[4][3] Doyle had to pay her own costs to compete at the 1984 World Championships; she had to borrow the money from her father.[7] In the Championships, Doyle suffered a separated shoulder and had to be taken to hospital.[8]

Doyle came second at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland where judo was a demonstration sport.[5] That year, she lost the British Open Championships final to Sharon Rendle. Rendle was chosen instead of Doyle for the 1986 World Championships.[9] That year, Doyle also came third at the 1986 European Championships in London.[3] Doyle lost in the first round of the 1989 European Championships.[10]

Doyle won the lightweight event (under-56 kg)[11] at the 1990 Commonwealth Games, beating Australian Suzanne Williams in the final.[12] It was Scotland's first medal in Judo at the Commonwealth Games.[13] She came second in the under 52 kg event at the 1991 European Championships, losing to Jessica Gal in the final.[14] Doyle won the under-52 kg event at the 1992 European Championships in Paris, France.[3] Doyle was not selected for the 1992 Summer Olympics.[5] In addition to her international success, she won eight British titles at the British Judo Championships.[15]

After retiring, Doyle worked as a coach for the British Judo Association.[16] In that role, Doyle coached Sally Conway.[17] In 2019, she set up the Loretta Doyle Judo Foundation, to help fund young judo enthusiasts.[18]

Personal life

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Doyle was married to Billy Cusack, who won a bronze medal at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in the men's lightweight judo event;[19] the pair were married before Doyle's appearance at the 1986 Commonwealth Games.[5] The pair have two children, and Doyle found out that she was first pregnant when she went for a medical examination prior to the 1992 Olympic selection. She said she was disappointed not to be selected, but "delighted" that she was pregnant. The pair are now divorced.[5]

References

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  1. ^ Crowley, Jo (2 February 2025). "Loretta Cusack-Doyle (GBR) Awarded 9th Dan by IJF President". International Judo Federation. Archived from the original on 3 February 2025. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  2. ^ Szogedi, Szandra (2 February 2025). "Loretta Doyle: a true pioneer in the world of judo, and now a 9th dan!". European Judo Union. Archived from the original on 3 February 2025. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Loretta Doyle". Judo Inside. Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Loretta Cusack-Doyle: What judo can teach us about life". CNN. 26 April 2018. Archived from the original on 24 January 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d e "First Women's World Championships #5 - Catching Up with Loretta Doyle". British Judo Association. 20 November 2020. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  6. ^ "Judo". The Observer. 8 January 1984. p. 46. Archived from the original on 4 June 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Parkinson must lay down the law on fund-raising". The Guardian. 8 September 1984. p. 15. Archived from the original on 4 June 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Doyle is defeated by injury". The Guardian. 12 November 1984. p. 23. Archived from the original on 4 June 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Briggs throws off injury". The Guardian. 29 September 1986. p. 27. Archived from the original on 4 June 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Only Briggs keeps her head- and feet - as Britons take a tumble". The Guardian. 13 May 1989. Archived from the original on 4 June 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Judo". The Guardian. 13 May 1992. Archived from the original on 4 June 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Angry insect takes the sting out of judo champ". The Age. 3 February 1990. p. 30. Archived from the original on 4 June 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Rick Kenney: Galashiels judo stalwart to get OBE from Queen". Border Telegraph. 15 October 2020. Archived from the original on 22 October 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  14. ^ "British left with three silvers as Inman's women all go out". The Guardian. 20 May 1991. p. 15. Archived from the original on 4 June 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "British Championships - Event results". Judo Inside. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  16. ^ "Loretta Cusack-Doyle, 8th Dan". British Judo Association. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  17. ^ "No 12: Sally Conway, judo player". The Independent. 17 December 2006. p. 63. Archived from the original on 4 June 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "Loretta Cusack-Doyle to Launch the "Loretta Doyle Judo Foundation" Charity". British Judo Association. 21 October 2019. Archived from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  19. ^ "Kenyans protest at 'racist judging'". Evening Standard. 2 February 1990. p. 119. Archived from the original on 4 June 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
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