Since then, the red back number has been worn several times but on each occasion it and its owner had to accept early exits. For any new world champion carrying the weight of expectation, this represents a shift in the status quo, one that must be acknowledged and accounted for. In Lima, however, something changed and there was a new gold medal around her neck.
“When I won the red patch I told myself to change nothing but this is not a real way to think, said Susy. “I felt more pressure and didn’t feel like myself. People watched me in a different way and so arriving at competitions was very hard. A lot of people expected me to win, like I had to win, but I lost in the first round in Abu Dhabi and then again in Paris, my second competition. One after another; it was harder than I anticipated. After that I had the injury to my elbow and I really lost myself.”
After Paris there was also Tashkent and the European Championships. Scutto lost at both of these events too, carrying her injury and the red backnumber, month after month building a bigger mountain to climb. So just a few days after the Europeans, surgery seemed to be the best option.
“The elbow is important for my morote-seoi-nage. I decided to do the Europeans even knowing I had this injury. I tried but I lost and this finally made me take the surgery. Just five days after the continentals I was having nerves repaired in two places in my elbow. This was the right option for me to be able to get fit for the Olympic qualification period. The doctor told me that recovery should be three months but I did it a bit faster. Right now I am just at the 3-month mark. Twenty days after surgery I was doing some one-handed uchi-komi and I played with extra, different techniques. My coach always finds me the right way to train and to adapt."
"Since the surgery, I matured. I talked a lot and feel more rounded. I think this break was very important for me. Without this break, maybe I am without the Lima gold medal now. I had the chance to rest and I found myself again. Antonio Ciano, my coach, said I shouldn’t worry and that it is all part of the process. I trust him and he said we could do other training. Otherwise it wouldn’t be easy for me as I always need to train. I love judo and to stay two months without competition even was hard, but in the end, all of it was right to reach this point.”
Talking with Susy about her challenges and the route she navigates through them, her face tells as much of the story as her words. She doesn’t hold things back or pretend everything is ok. Her expression tells us everything.
“On the saddest days, I had a lot of moments that were quite dark. There were negative thoughts, doubts; I questioned whether I could return and win, whether I could do better than before. I wondered if I would still feel that pressure I had before the surgery, but I remembered why I do this sport. I love judo and I love this life!
Lima is the first event for me inside the Los Angeles Olympic qualification period and I’m very happy to start with a gold medal. I hope to continue like this. It’s also my first grand prix medal and my first event after surgery. It’s my goal to always do better until the Olympic Games. Now I am Susy Scutto, world champion, but I always want to be better and now I’m happy with this version of me.”
Assunta Scutto is back on the tatami and is now comfortable with her red back number and her approach to judo. Let’s go Susy!