French judo trailblazer Guy Auffray has passed away at the age of 75. Auffray became the first French judoka to medal at the world championships when he took bronze in 1971 in the 80 kg category. During his career he also won a European championship and was a three time French champion.

In 1972 Black Belt magazine rated him the fourth best judoka in all of Europe in any weight class noting his flashy style and splendid combination techniques. Though France, at the time, had more judoka than any other European nation, Black Belt singled out Auffray as one of the few French competitors to ever become a star on the international scene.