Burkinabe taekwondo player Chimène Ilboudo won the Sekone Open this Sunday, June 9, 2024, which was held in Senegal. Reached by telephone from the country of Téranga where she is continuing her university studies, the champion spoke about her physical preparation before this competition, her performance to climb to the highest step of the podium and her projects.
Between her studies and her passion for taekwondo, Chimène Ilboudo had to show courage and self-sacrifice to win the gold medal at the Sekone Open, this Sunday, June 9, 2024.
Despite the difficult training conditions, his rage to win overcame fatigue and stress to raise the flag of Burkina Faso high. “With my coach who is also my trainer in Senegal, we worked on the technical aspect with my teammates in the gym and on the physical aspect, added to individual work that I do personally. I train twice a day, in addition to regular training days. I only have weekends and afternoons to revise my lessons, because, in addition to being a high-level taekwondo athlete, I am a civil engineering student,” she explains.
- “I manage to combine studies and sport, also thanks to the advice of my predecessors, Ibrahim Maïga and Fayçal Sawadogo”, Chimène Ilboudo.
For this competition, Chimène pulled out all the stops to emerge victorious. Convinced that the first weapon to enter a competition is the mind, the Burkinabe athlete was able to keep her morale high to face all her matches with serenity. “I was in high spirits. I had peace of mind because I had prepared thoroughly. I had nothing to reproach myself for. The work had already been done, all that remained was to apply it to the mat… Basically, I am a fighter in the under 67 kilograms category. But for this competition, I was alone at less than 67. So I told myself that if the athletes did not come to me, it was up to me to go to them,” she recalled.
Thus, after two matches which she won hands down, Chimène meets in the final an opponent whom she knows perfectly, having already faced her three years ago. The experience at that time was painful, because the Burkinabè had lost to her opponent. But time passed, and Chimène had learned from her mistakes.
Better, for her, history should not repeat itself. “In the final, I faced a fighter from the Senegal team, known for her striking power, her large size and her technical aspect. This time, I had to play tactically, rely more on my movements, keep it at a distance, play on my cardio. Because being in a heavy weight category, I was the lightest. So, I moved a lot more to tire him out and be able to score points,” she explained.
- “I had confidence in myself. And nothing could intimidate me at that moment,” Chimène Ilboudo.
The plan was well laid out. You just had to follow him. But as we often say, “the reality on the ground goes beyond the illusion of the locker room. » After the first round, the Burkinabè athlete broke a finger on his left hand, and the objective became difficult to achieve. “I was in pain, but I told myself that I had to win this competition at all costs. This is where my mentality came into play. I fought until the end. I turned the tide and finally won,” she exulted.
“When I realized I had won the gold medal, I was filled with a feeling of pride. It’s truly a feeling of joy to see all the efforts we have made crowned with success,” she expressed. As for the future, Chimène Ilboudo plans to take part in the African Championship and several Opens which will allow her to qualify for the prestigious competition that all athletes covet: the Olympic Games. “It’s a dream to participate and win them, without also forgetting the African Games. I already thank my country, Burkina Faso, for everything it has done for me, and I really hope to have its support, its support and its support in order to achieve these dreams,” she said. to conclude.
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- “I dedicate this medal to my family, to my Olympians, to my coaches and masters from near and far, and to Burkina Faso, my country”, Chimène Ilboudo.
Erwan Compaore
Lefaso.net
