| Jackson Richardson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Richardson in 2013 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1969-06-14)14 June 1969 (age 56) Saint-Pierre,Réunion | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | French | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Centre Back | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1977–1989 | Saint-Pierre HBC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior clubs | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1989–1991 | Paris-Asnières | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1991–1996 | OM Vitrolles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1996–2000 | TV Großwallstadt | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2000–2005 | Portland San Antonio | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2005–2008 | Chambéry Savoie Handball | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2009 | Rhein-Neckar Löwen | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1990–2005 | France | 417 | (775) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Jackson Richardson (born 14 June 1969) is a French formerhandball player. Regarded as one of the best and most influential handball players of his era, Richardson won fourteen titles at club level and theWorld Championship in1995 and2001 with theFrench national team.[1][2] He was awardedIHF World Player of the Year in 1995, and voted the most valuable player at the World Championships in1990 and1995, and the2000 European Championship.[3]
With the national team, Richardson also received one silver medal and three bronze medals at the World Championships in1993,1997,2003 and2005, and won the bronze medal in the1992 Summer Olympics inBarcelona.[4] He holds the record for most caps for the French national team with 417 appearances.[5] As the captain of the national team, Richardson was France'sflag bearer during the2004 Olympic Games opening ceremony inAthens.[5]
Richardson started playing handball when he was six years old and was a part of the youth team at Saint-Pierre HBC from 1977 to 1989.[6] In 1988, he was spotted during a match atRéunion Island byFrench national team head coach Daniel Costantini who was scouting for a Réunionese player for Bataillon de Joinville, a military unit of the French army for sport conscripts.[6][7] After completing his military service, Richardson signed forParis-Asnières in 1989.[6]
In 1991, Richardson transferred toOM Vitrolles, where he would win theFrench league in 1994 and 1996, theFrench cup in 1993 and 1995, and theEHF Cup Winners' Cup in 1993. He joined German clubTV Großwallstadt in 1996 and won theEHF Challenge Cup in 2000. That same year, Richardson moved to Spanish clubPortland San Antonio, where he won theEHF Champions League in2001 and theSpanish league in2002 and2005. He was also voted Best playmaker of the Spanish league for three consecutive seasons from 2003 to 2005.
Richardson returned to France in 2005 to play forChambéry Savoie Handball. In 2008, Richardson retired after a final match againstUS Ivry, but later came out of retirement to briefly play forRhein-Neckar Löwen in 2009.
Richardson made his debut for theFrench national team in 1990. He was voted the most valuable player at the1990 World Championship where France placed ninth. Jackson was part of the French squad that won the bronze medal at the1992 Summer Olympics inBarcelona.[4][5] Jackson and the national team placed second at the1993 World Championship and won the1995 World Championship, where he was again voted the most valuable player of the tournament.
France finished second at the1997 World Championship and fourth at the2000 European Championship, where Richardson received his third most valuable player award for a major international competition. He won the2001 World Championship with the national team, and placed third at the World Championships in2003 and2005.
Richardson retired from the national team in 2005, having made 417 appearances and scored 775 goals. TheFrench Handball Federation celebrated his farewell to the team with a ceremony after the Paris-Bercy tournament attended by sport figures and his mother, who had traveled from their nativeRéunion.[8] Richardson dedicated the tournament to his father who had recently passed away.[8]
Richardson is married and has two children. His son,Melvyn, is a handball player forFC Barcelona and member of theFrench national team.[2]
OM Vitrolles
TV Großwallstadt
Portland San Antonio
Bronze:1992
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | IHF World Player of the Year – Men 1995 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | French Sportsperson of the Year 2001 | Succeeded by |
| Olympic Games | ||
| Preceded by | Flagbearer for FranceAthens 2004 | Succeeded by |
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| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
