Loretta Doyle
Personal information
Full nameLoretta Cusack-Doyle
Born (1963-07-12) 12 July 1963
Spouse
​
(divorced)​
Achievements and titles
World finals1982
Regional finals1983, 1992
Commonwealth finals1986, 1990
Medal record
Representing  Great Britain
World Judo Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1980 New York U52
Gold medal – first place 1982 Paris U52
European Judo Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1980 UdineU56
Silver medal – second place 1981 MadridU52
Silver medal – second place 1982 OsloU52
Gold medal – first place 1983 Genoa U52
Bronze medal – third place 1986 LondonU52
Silver medal – second place 1991 PragueU52
Gold medal – first place 1992 Paris U52
Representing  Scotland
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place 1990 Auckland U56

Loretta Doyle (also known by her married name Cusack, born 12 July 1963)[1] is a Scottish judoka who won the under-52kg event at the 1982 World Judo Championships, and the under-56 kg event at the 1990 Commonwealth Games. Doyle also won European Judo Championships titles in 1983 and 1992.

Career

Doyle started judo at the age of 10, and three years later, she joined the British Judo team.[2] Doyle competed at the inaugural World Judo Championships for women in 1980. She was one of seven judoka at the event, and won a bronze medal.[3] She came third at the 1980 European Judo Championships, and second at the 1981 and 1982 European Judo Championships.[1] She won the under-52 kg title at the 1982 World Judo Championships.[4] In 1983, Doyle won the under-52 kg event at the European Judo Championships in Genoa, Italy.[2][1] Doyle had to pay her own costs to compete at the 1984 World Judo Championships; she had to borrow the money from her father.[5] In the Championships, Doyle suffered a separated shoulder and had to be taken to hospital.[6]

Doyle came third in the judo demonstration event at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland.[3] That year, she lost the British Open Championships final to Sharon Rendle. Rendle was chosen instead of Doyle for the 1986 World Judo Championships.[7] That year, Doyle also came third at the 1986 European Judo Championships event in London.[1] Doyle lost in the first round of the 1989 European Judo Championships.[8]

Doyle won the lightweight event (under-56 kg)[9] at the 1990 Commonwealth Games, beating Australian Suzanne Williams in the final.[10] It was Scotland's first judo medal at a Commonwealth Games.[11] She came second in the under-52 kg event at the 1991 European Judo Championships, losing to Jessica Gal in the final.[12] Doyle won the under-52 kg event at the 1992 European Judo Championships in Paris, France.[1] Doyle was not selected for the 1992 Summer Olympics.[3] In addition to her international success, she won eight British titles at the British Judo Championships.[13]

After retiring, Doyle worked as a coach for the British Judo Association.[14] In that role, Doyle coached Sally Conway.[15] In 2019, she set up the Loretta Doyle Judo Foundation, to help fund young judo enthusiasts.[16]

Personal life

Doyle was married to Billy Cusack, who won a bronze medal at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in the men's lightweight judo event;[17] the pair were married before Doyle's appearance at the 1986 Commonwealth Games.[3] 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.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Loretta Doyle". Judo Inside. Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  2. 1 2 "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.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "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.
  4. ↑ "Judo". The Observer. 8 January 1984. p. 46. Archived from the original on 4 June 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ "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.
  6. ↑ "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.
  7. ↑ "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.
  8. ↑ "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.
  9. ↑ "Judo". The Guardian. 13 May 1992. Archived from the original on 4 June 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "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.
  11. ↑ "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.
  12. ↑ "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.
  13. ↑ "British Championships - Event results". Judo Inside. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  14. ↑ "Loretta Cusack-Doyle, 8th Dan". British Judo Association. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  15. ↑ "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.
  16. ↑ "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.
  17. ↑ "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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