Judo Olympian appeals for help finding brother, 26, who went missing without phone

Brooke Davies

Published March 1, 2025 6:11pm Updated March 2, 2025 1:59pm

Lubjana Piovesana, left, has appealed for any help to find her brother Luis who has not been seen since Friday (Picture: Getty/PA

A former Team GB judoka has asked people to search their sheds and garages for her brother, who went missing on Friday without money or his phone.

An urgent search was launched for 26-year-old Luis Piovesana who was last seen at about 3am on Friday February 28 at Eastgate Retail Park in Bristol.

CCTV footage shows Luis walking around the retail park but he has not been seen since.

His sister Lubjana Piovesana, 28, said the next few hours are ‘critical’ for tracking him down.

She competed in judo for Great Britain before switching to the Austrian team, and defeated Brit Lucy Renshall in the women’s -63kg judo event in Paris last year.

Lubjana wrote on Facebook: ‘[Luis] has no phone, no money, no cards, so he will be in distress.

‘He could be injured, he could be trapped. Please check your sheds/garages/public toilets in case he tried to seek shelter from the cold.

‘The next hours are critical and any help is appreciated.’

Luis was wearing black baggy jeans with a diamond patterned stitching on them, cream-coloured trainers, a black and grey Rapha gilet and a black Rapha cap.

PICTURED Luis Piovesana We?re growing increasingly concerned for Luis Piovesana who is missing in Bristol and are appealing for anyone with information to contact us. The 26-year-old was last seen at about 3am on Friday (28 February) at Eastgate Retail Park. He is understood to have travelled there via a taxi from a venue in Little Ann Street, St Jude?s. It is out of character for him to be missing and extensive searches to find him are continuing. Luis? family are being supported by a specially trained family liaison officer and continue to be updated. CCTV footage shows Luis travelling on foot around the retail park shortly after 3am on Friday, but he has not been sighted since. He was wearing black baggy jeans with a diamond patterned stitching on them, cream-coloured trainers, a black and grey Rapha gilet and a black Rapha cap. Luis has a cartoon-style tattoo of a man, a car and a cherub on his arm and a Vespa motorbike tattooed on his stomach. He has links to Frenchay in South Gloucestershire. — The 26-year-old was last seen at about 3am on Friday at Eastgate Retail Park
(Picture: AVON AND SOMERSET POLICE)

Avon and Somerset Police said he has a cartoon-style tattoo of a man, car and cherub on his arm, and a Vespa motorbike tattooed on his stomach.

Detective Inspector Pete Walker said: ‘We are extremely worried for Luis and would encourage anyone with information to contact us as soon as possible.

‘He does not have access to his mobile phone nor any money and we are carrying out extensive searches as we urgently try to locate him.

‘If you were out driving in Bristol in the early hours and have a dashcam, or you have doorbell or CCTV cameras, particularly if you live in the Eastville, St Werburgh’s, St Agnes or Frenchay areas, please review your footage and contact us if there is anything that might help our investigation.’

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