We introduced the statistics, the almost impossible feat and the question in our first article in the series, which can be found here:
https://www.ijf.org/news/show/151-olympic-champions-tokyo-to-tokyo
A reminder of the question:
It could be said that to be in the company of an Olympic judo champion is to be presented with someone who has reached an absolute pinnacle, a ceiling which cannot be surpassed; there is nowhere further to ascend in the world of sport. We often find Olympic champions speaking with freedom and certainty, unafraid to share an opinion, speaking of their lives and journeys with confidence. For many we feel there is peace, and that can be magnetic and inspiring.
So the question is, did they become Olympic champion because of that character or did they become that person having won the Olympic gold medal?
“I trained hard but I was also fortunate, a lucky person to win the gold medal. At the Barcelona Games, it started with the heavyweights and Ogawa was supposed to win, followed by Okada. Both were already world champion but they both lost. And then it came to me and there was such expectation; I was able to let go and really do my own judo. That’s what led to the gold medal.”
Why you and not him, why did you win the final?
“Judo is a really interesting sport and when you get your grip you get a special feeling. I had the utmost confidence from the first grip. After I got the grip, I wasn’t in a rush; I knew if I got my hands on him I could throw. For me, I was confident because I was the most prepared and I knew that because I did the most training. That was where the confidence came from."
"It’s important to note that it wasn’t the goal from the beginning. It was the daily training and winning whatever the competition in front of me was, each contest. That continued and eventually became the result.
In my case, I had two big opponents. One was that I was cutting a lot of weight, so the scales challenged me. After clearing that, it was about the challenge of the tatami, having the heart and to have a strong heart you need to train."
"I didn’t realise before but after winning it I noticed the gravity of it. Before the Olympic gold medal, there was no process but when I came back I was swarmed by people; I suddenly had more friends and family! I was suddenly more sensitive to how people perceived me, all eyes were on me. So, I developed processes."
"I had a lot of experiences at the Olympic Games. I won gold in 1992 and then lost the second and third times. There is fame and glory when you win but when you lose there is nothing. By winning that medal, you carry many expectations on your back. It expands horizons though and I was able to become a head coach. I was able to start the judo club at Park 24.”
