Judokates: life after gold

How can we forget the Olympic – and peaceful – interlude where the French flag was the new it-bag and the Marseillaise was simply a hit? We all know what we were doing on August 3, 2024, when the French judo team won the final of the Paris Olympic Games, after a legendary comeback and unbreathable suspense against a Japan more determined than ever. Reigning champions, French judokas and judokas have therefore retained their place on the roof of the world. Among them Clarisse Agbegnenou, Romane Dicko and Sarah-Léonie Cysique, three nuggets with raw talent and an already full track record. Each in their category shone, carrying us away in their surge of joy and fervor. Each with their own personality has left their mark in the hearts of the French. After a long break away from the tatami mats, they met again on December 2 in the antechamber of the Awazu Dojo, the training center of the French Judo Federation. “It’s nice to put the kimono back on,” rejoices Sarah Léonie Cysique, who resumed training that day. Have they suffered the famous post-competition blues? “Mentally, it’s not the easiest time. It’s very energy-intensive,” underlines Romane Dicko. “I knew it would be difficult, but you can never really anticipate it. » For her part, Clarisse Agbenegnou took advantage of these days off to devote herself to her role as a mother. “It’s often difficult to get out of the hype and get back to your basic life. These were my first games since I became a mother, I devoted myself entirely to Athena [2 ans, ndlr]and that allowed me to realize how amazing what I had just experienced was,” confides the Olympic medalist. These judokates are now resuming (and relearning?) the course of their careers and especially their personal lives, through the projects that drive them. Fighters on and off the mat, these three modern-day heroines inspire us and continue to make us shine with them.

Sarah Léonie Cysique
“I still had my little tear. After being over-demanded, you have to know how to resume your life,” confides the 26-year-old champion. “Fortunately there were the Paralympics, it allowed me to relive the games but as a spectator. It's a good transition. » In bronze in the category of less than 57 kg in Paris (she had obtained silver in Tokyo) and in gold with the French team, the one who started at Château-Thierry recovered from her emotions far from the media agitation: “I went on vacation, I needed to take a break. » She is now returning to the tatami mats. Objective: the world championships in June. Committed, Sarah-Léonie Cysique wishes to lift the taboo of food in sport and promote better nutrition. “For us, weight is the first battle. » Another battle therefore, which she also wishes to win. Ippon

Clarisse Agbenegnou
Olympic champion under 63 kg in Tokyo, Clarisse Agbegnenou, 32, is one of the French women elevated to the rank of icon, model of success and longevity. In Paris, she still obtained bronze and was decisive in France's collective victory. She won everything, but now wants to share more with her family. In 2023, less than a year after giving birth, Clarisse was able to return to the highest level. “Medal or not, when you're a mom, you're someone's heroine every day,” she confides about her daughter Athena. “I want to live this adventure with her.” His challenge? Combining a sporting career and motherhood. “It’s very hard,” she admits. What if it was also the best time to have a second child, Before going, we wish him, to win a new (and ultimate?) title in LA in 2028? Until then, the woman who is also godmother of the SOS Préma association continues to get involved, particularly in Togo, to improve pregnancy monitoring for women.

Romane Dicko
She dreamed of gold in Paris, favorite in the over 78 kg category, obtained bronze, as in Tokyo in 2021. Her tears on the podium moved all of France. She consoled herself with the Olympic mixed team title. Four times European champion, world champion, four Olympic medals: at 25 years old, the native of Clamart, who plays for PSG Judo, has a very impactful CV. After a scientific baccalaureate, she studied math, “to give herself the choice” of her future. Like many sportswomen of her generation, she dares to break the silence on the mental health of athletes or fatphobia. Today, she transmits the virtues of high level to the youngest and recounts her journey in I do judo with Romane Dicko (ed. Milan). After an internship in Japan to “get her foot back on track”, she is aiming for the European Club Championship, in Montpellier, on December 21.

This article could be found in the Gala No. 1644, available on newsstands on December 12. To follow the news live, you can join the WhatsApp feed of Gala . The new issue of Gala is on newsstands from this Thursday, December 19, 2024. Happy reading.