The Guadeloupean was crowned world champion – 90 kg in para-judo in Baku, Azerbaijan. He won the final against Georgian Zviad Gogotchuri, Paralympic champion in Rio in 2016. This is his first world title.
The year 2022 is undoubtedly that of Hélios Latchoumanaya. The Guadeloupean went on Wednesday, November 9 to win his first world champion title, in the category of less than 90 kilos, against the Georgian Zviad Gogotchuri, Olympic champion in 2016 in Rio.
Suffering from a degenerative eye disease, he hardly sees anything in the dark and to the sides. But that did not diminish him during his fights. Thanks to a meticulously developed strategy, the native of Tarbes in the Gers was able to climb to the final without difficulty, avoiding the pitfalls of the first laps.
“I still can’t realize that I am world champion. For me, I have just won a competition like the others. But seeing all the messages I receive, I realize that I have achieved something great “said the young judoka.
I think I will realize my achievement when I return to France.
Hélios Latchoumanaya, para-judo world champion
For many, Hélios Latchoumanaya is the new Teddy Riner. In 2022, the Guadeloupean simply offered himself the luxury of winning all the tournaments in which he participated, including the European championships in September. Only one competition escaped him… but he still finished on the second step of the podium.
He came to judo by chance, at the age of 7, for, he says: “channeling my energy, because I was a real stack”. At 17, he participated in his first disabled sport competition, during the 2017 Youth Paralympic Games in Italy.
On the Tatamis, his maturity and his speed of execution reflect a young man in a hurry, driven by the quest to write the history of his sport. A legend that he shapes in his image, already a bronze medalist at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. This first title of world champion allows Hélios, aged only 22, to bring ippons to life, which does not stopped playing tricks on him.
Today world number 1 in his category in para-judo, he defeats each of the adversaries who stand in his way. And against the able-bodied, he achieved feats that lead some observers to wonder if he still has a place in disabled sports competitions.
His finest feat of arms against non-disabled athletes is undoubtedly his victory at the national A tournament in Bourges where he beat the Mauritian judoka Rémi Feuillet, 7ᵉ of the 2019 world championships, in the final. spearhead of his discipline, the Guadeloupean who has reached the stars, now dreams of staying there.
I don’t know if I am the spearhead of para-judo, because there are other athletes who also perform. But if people consider me like that, then I will continue to promote para-judo and bring back medals and titles.
At 22, the Guadeloupean seems to have a bright future as a judoka ahead of him. And why not establish his hegemony, as his idol Teddy Riner did before him?
