Matthias Casse Talks Weight Cutting, Expectations and Lessons Ahead of Paris Tournament

Matthias, how are you doing before this first deadline of the year?

“I feel great. As usual, the week before a competition is the weight drop, which is never fun. Especially when it’s the first of the season. For me, as for most judokas, it’s always hard. You could say that the weigh-in is the first fight of my competition.”

How many kilos do you go up to, knowing that you fight in -81 kg?

“Normally, 87-88 kg. This was not always the case. Two or three years ago, it was less. When we saw that I was gaining too much mass, we adapted my weight training sessions to become more strong without being heavier.”

How do you go about losing so many pounds in such a short time? It seems that you drink a lot of water…

“It’s true. There is still a lack of studies on the subject. There are some, but on a small panel. As far as I’m concerned, the last four days before the weigh-in, generally on Friday, I drink eight liters of water per day, the equivalent of 10% of my weight, to get my body used to evacuating. So, on the big day, it’s easier to lose water and weight when I run with all my layers of clothes. The goal is to get to my competition weight as quickly as possible. Once the weigh-in is over, I can drink again.”

The weigh-in, the day before the competition, is a step forward because you can gain weight again. How much?

“On the day of the competition, there is a draw for a new weigh-in, where there is a latitude of 5%. For me, a little more than 4 kg… So, I fight in -85 kg. But it “It’s like that for everyone! It wasn’t the case back when the weigh-in took place on the morning of the competition, at the start of my career. Today, it’s better, if only only to avoid injury.”

Unlike his great rival, the Georgian Grigalashvili, Matthias Casse is lining up in Paris. ©AFP or licensors

How do you feel about being world number 1 again? Is it a pleasure, a pressure?

“It’s always great! With Grigalashvili, our level is very close. So, one day, it’s him; one day, it’s me… But I concentrate more on the results, on the medals. And if I am world No. 1, it’s more of a pleasure than a pressure. It was perhaps more stressful at the beginning, in 2019. Now, I’m a little used to it. It’s good to be here. But that doesn’t cause me any more stress. It’s sometimes an advantage during the draw, even if, in -81 kg, when you look at the top 20 in the world, everyone is strong!”

Matthias Casse ends the year as world No. 1!

Have you already planned your season?

“More or less. There is Paris and Tashkent. A possibility that I will go to Antalya. But, normally not. It will depend on the results and also on how I feel. There will be the Euro and the World Cup. And, finally, the Games. So, five competitions in six months. But I’m focused on the Olympics.”

The Olympic year is bound to be different from the others, right?

“Everyone feels the Games are approaching. Everyone only talks about that. Having already been to Rio and, of course, Tokyo, I know the stages before and during the Olympics. For the moment, I am very calm . I don’t know how I will cope in four months. You know, for Tokyo, I had injured my shoulder. It was twenty-five days before and I had not participated in a single randori before the competition. My first fight wasn’t great.”

gull

“Last year I was a little too confident against the Portuguese.”

Why didn’t you mention this injury?

“In Tokyo, everyone saw that I had a huge slap on my face. Not counting those who had seen me hurt myself. But, in these cases, it is true that we say as little as possible. I don’t “I’m not afraid of getting hurt. A judoka knows that it can happen. We learned lessons from this bad experience. We know that I shouldn’t look for hard fights until the end of the preparation.”

What does the Paris Tournament mean to you?

“Paris and Tokyo are the two most prestigious events. What is striking in Paris is the proximity of the public. When we go to the tatami, people are one meter from us. The atmosphere is very impressive! In Tokyo, with four Japanese in each category, the level is very high.”

Last year, you were beaten in the second round… Bad memory, isn’t it?

“Look, it happens. I think I was a little too confident. I made a mistake and the Portuguese took advantage of it. I remember that fight well. Maybe I underestimated my opponent. For me, it was also a lesson that I learned from. In Tokyo, I lost to the South Korean. Now I know how to take it. It’s important before the Olympics!”

Bad surprise: Matthias Casse eliminated at the Paris Tournament!
2024-02-01 20:09:18
#Matthias #Casse #appointment #Paris #Olympics #drank #liters #water #day #weighin