Clarisse Agbégnénou, five-time world champion and now Olympic champion never ceases to contemplate this gold medal that she coveted so much.
What are you saying to yourself now?
CLARISSE AGBEGNENOU.
I did it, I said it and I did it.
And in Japan!
It's incredible.
You have your medal around your neck, how do you find it?
She is magnificent. When I saw her in the photo I said to myself, this one, I really have to have it, she is so beautiful, she shines so much. Sorry Rio, but she is more beautiful than Rio. Okay, we know why. I will be able to bring out the Rio silver medal which is hidden because I did not want to see it. Now I can tell myself that I have two Olympic medals, one of which is gold. One that manquai me
t
. I can't wait to show it to my family, my friends, my supporters, my sponsors, to everyone who has reached out to me during these difficult years. I want to post a photo to show them and say thank you for giving me so much energy. And then I am happy to say to myself:
“I am a standard bearer and I have shown the way”.
This Marseillaise was something very strong ...
We have heard a lot of the Japanese anthem in this room, while it is me who finally makes the Marseillaise reason, that makes me proud.
I have heard the Marseillaise thousands of times, but I love to sing it, it comes from deep within me, it fills me with happiness.
To read alsoJO of Tokyo: "You deserve it so much", the beautiful message of Teddy Riner for Clarisse Agbégnénou after his Olympic title
Did you hear the athletes of the France team shouting in the stands during the fights?
It gave me strength.
I arrived in Japan telling myself that there would be no public, not my relatives, that it was going to be complicated.
I never expected, in such difficult conditions, to hear so many people screaming for me.
Your relatives are not present, do you know how they experienced your medal?
I called them before going up, it was quick, but when I saw them, all together, I thought it was magnificent.
They were behind me, I love them so much.
What does this Olympic title represent in your career?
The realization of all these years of work, pain, sorrow, smile, love, hate.
It is an outcome.
This extra year has been difficult for you, how do you look now that you have achieved your goal?
The postponement was difficult, I will not be able to remove it.
I didn't expect to fall that low, but if it took to fall that low to get this medal, I would do it again.
It was painful, but being able to get up is just happiness.
Has the fear of failure crossed your mind?
There are always moments of doubt in a day of competition, but it goes quickly.
Maybe it was even an overconfidence.
I told myself
no one is going to take this medal away from you, but calm down, we're not there yet.
And then I thought to myself,
I worked for, so I'm going to have it.
Are you going to be able to move on?
I do not know, I will already take the time to celebrate all the medals that I have not yet been able to celebrate. This one, but also that of the Worlds. I'm going to take a break, take some time for myself. The extra year has been exhausting but I feel like I've come to the best version of myself. I couldn't wait for it to end though. I need to breathe mentally, to escape, to take advantage of my loved ones. If it is to relive this happiness, we will say to each other in three years in Paris.
