Much to his joy at having become, on Thursday, the first Olympic champion in the history of karate, the French Steven Da Costa did not want the absence of his discipline at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris to eclipse the brilliance of his gold medal.
How do you experience this Olympic happiness?
STEVEN DA COSTA.
I do not realize.
I'll have to leave me one night, or a good day, or even the return to France, I think.
I knew this second
part of the day was going to be tough.
After the hens, I returned to the village (Editor's note: Olympic) to break up the day and make it another day.
Because Thursday morning was very hard.
I was not myself, tense, not serene.
I was a favorite and I was afraid to disappoint.
And that is not good.
I had told everyone I was coming for the gold.
And when I speak, I try to do.
But that is in life.
In sport, there is no guarantee.
Were your coaches right that you were programmed for gold?
I prepared myself like a dog, I "killed" myself, with my father, with Olivier Baudry (Editor's note: his federal coach), in my stronghold in Mont-Saint-Martin.
It was a long time, I went through all the emotions.
I believed in it, then I no longer believed it.
I felt like I was ready, then I had my doubts.
And in the end I materialize, it's magnificent.
🇫🇷 OLYMPIC CHAMPIOOOON !!!!
Thank you Steven Da Costa for the thrills, forever the first 🥇 # GoLesBleus # Tokyo2020ffk pic.twitter.com/M720juJfHL
- France Team (@EquipeFRA) August 5, 2021
Did we then feel more serene, especially against Kazakh Darkhan Assadilov, in the semi-final?
All the pressure, I released it in my room.
I told myself that I had a medal no matter what and that I would not be ashamed to return to France.
I know nobody believed it against the Kazakh.
Because he set fire to today.
I believed in it.
But we must admit, it was a hired killer in hens.
I took his breath away and he fought to stay upright.
Then, in the final against the Turk, I lead 5-0, he looks at me and he knows it's over.
Is this a victory for your sport which will not be
on the program at the 2024 Olympics
?
“For the moment I“ love ”my moment. No thought can taint this medal. It is the most beautiful, it is the one that was missing, European champion, world champion and Olympic champion. End of the story. Today, karate showed a very good image, there were a lot of shows, a lot of points. We hope that can change, why not. I would have liked to look for one in Paris. But this one, it will never be erased.