Laura Vázquez (Vigo, 19 years old) won last Monday, December 6, the victory in the Spanish Judo Championship in the -63 kilos category. It is his first absolute triumph after good results in the lower categories and in 2022 he seeks to compete at the international level to qualify for the Paris 2024 Games. “It is the goal we have had for a few years,” explains the judoka.
How did you experience your first senior Spanish title?
I lived it with great emotion, I had just come from getting a bronze in this same championship and I was left with that thorn stuck of having lost the semifinal and not opting for that final. I had the illusion of improving the result of the previous edition and that’s how it was.
How were the last two matches?
They were very tense. The Spanish Championship was long and at a high level. The semi-final was decided in the last minutes and in the final I was faced with a tough fight. I scored at the beginning and then I had to put up with the score the whole time. And it went well.
Did it take you long to believe that you had won?
To this day I believe it, but that same day I did not have it assimilated nor was I conscious. Now I know that this gold medal will open many doors for me to compete internationally.
What will be the next steps?
Now, in 2022, the senior international circuit begins and also the Olympic ranking for Paris 2024. I want to start competing there, if possible, taking medals and adding points. For a few years we have established that these Games are the objective. For Tokyo I was still very young, but now is the time. I am 19 years old and it is a good age to try.
It so happens that in Spain it will have a lot of competition in its weight.
In the final I faced Cristina Cabaña, who went to the Tokyo Games in -63 kilos. For me it is a joy to know that I have a level and that I can beat a judoka who went to the Games. And he will be my rival in the coming years to try to enter Paris, we will be side by side. Everyone said that this Spanish Championship was the highest level in recent years because all the Olympic judokas were there. Seeing them there was impressive.
How is your day to day?
For six years I have resided at the Pontevedra Sports Technification Center. Now I combine it with the university and I go to Santiago, so I train, I go to class and I go back to training. It is a fairly established routine.
When did you start judo?
At the age of four and, from that moment, with Marcial Romero, my current coach. Taking the step of entering the center of Pontevedra was realizing that I could dedicate myself to judo 100%.
Do you follow international competitions?
Thanks to the technologies, you can see the videos of the competitions from a year or two years ago and that allows me to see where we failed and, also, see where I can improve. In addition, it allows me to see my evolution, which was quite large in the last two years. You can tell I’ve been competing internationally for a long time and it’s something that helps.
Internationally, who do you like?
In my house, practically only judo is seen. The one I like is the French Clarisse Agbegnenou, who was proclaimed Olympic champion in Tokyo and has already won four World Cups. It is my point of reference because, in addition, it does a judo similar to mine and I get a lot of details from it.
What is the judo that you like?
It’s a good question … In my case, I opt for the simple, but that is practical. At the technical level, I don’t have numerous techniques. But I like to have three or four and that those work for me in all the situations that I can face. I’d rather have little and good than a lot and bad.
She has been with Marcial Rometo since she was four years old.
He knows everything about me, both the good and the bad. He is like my second father. It has many advantages that we have been together for many years because this allows us to have confidence and tell each other both the good and the bad things. The truth is that he has been leading the Pontevedra group for a long time and has a high level. Both within Galicia and abroad, he is a highly valued coach.
Do you plan to continue your preparation in Pontevedra?
The truth is that I do not plan to go to another place to train. The group I have is very good and, thanks to them, I have achieved what I have achieved. This is an individual sport, but also a collective one. Each medal has a piece that belongs to my colleagues and my family.
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