The two-time world medalist Nekoda Smythe-Davis you will miss the Tokyo Olympics 2021 while continuing to recover from the long-term effects of the concussion.
The British judoka suffered a concussion in late 2019 and her recovery has been hampered by the coronavirus pandemic, which limited both training opportunities and rehabilitation treatment.
“By the end of the run, I already felt like I was going to run into trouble getting back to judo,” Davis said.
“Things just didn’t feel right.”
Once Smythe-Davis was able to return to more normal judo training in August, “basically losing all tolerance for contact training.”
Davis reported dizziness and lightheadedness when practicing, so she took a break from training, although symptoms like light intolerance continued and increased.
Now diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome and balance problems, a neurologist warned her Smythe-Davis that another blow to the head could have serious and life-threatening repercussions for his career.
With this in mind, the athlete and the British Judo Association have decided not to attempt to compete in the Olympic Games this year and instead focus on Paris 2024 and prioritizing Davis’s long-term health.
“The decision not to go ahead with the games this summer has been accompanied by confusion and pain. Eight years of work to achieve this goal of winning gold. The injury and the Covid have robbed me of time that I will never get back. I can be bitter or I can set my sights on new goals. “
“I think I’m on this really long journey to get back to what will be normal for me,” he explained. Smythe-Davis.
“Until then, contact is obviously out of the question, I am not authorized to make contact anyway.”
“It just got me thinking, do I want to potentially risk one day this year? Or do I want to take it easy and go step by step and potentially have many more days playing this sport that I love to do?”
Smythe-Davis He won the silver medal in the under-57-kilogram division at the Baku Senior World Cup in 2018 and the bronze medal a year earlier at the Senior World Cup held in Budapest.
In addition, the English was Champion of the Commonwealth Games in 2014 and won two events of the IJF World Tour, one in 2018 (Dusseldorf Grand Slam) and another in 2019 (Brasilia Grand Slam).
SOURCE: Ali Iverson
PHOTOS: IJF
