Fran Garrigós (December 9, 1994) is active in the Vigo Fruits Famu and it is the current European and world champion of judo in -60 kilos. Furthermore, he leads the international ranking. A situation that marks him as a clear favorite for the medals at the Paris Games, but he warns that the Olympic medal is difficult because it is an event that is prepared with care. “It’s the medal I’m missing, but there are always strange results at the Games,” he admits. He will try to improve himself to get on the podium and leave behind the small disappointments of Rio and Tokyo, where he did not reach the finalist places.
How does it feel to win another European Championship?
I am quite happy with this title and even more so with the year it is. It is good for me ahead of the Games to check that the things we are working on are on the right track. After the European Championship, I will do the World Cup in May, which will be the last competition before Paris. It will help me determine the aspects that I have to correct and what I have worked well towards the great objective of the season.
Why are the Games a little different?
The day of the Games is a different day. There are many more means and everyone wants to get a medal. And you can always see that many favorites do not take a podium at the Olympic event. It is different from other competitions, even though they are the same judokas and the same rules. Very strange things always happen.
What judo has is that everyone knows each other a lot and more so in the Games, in which participation is lower.
Within international competitions we all already know each other. Except in one year like the next, when there is a generational change. But the normal thing is to know everyone and we have them well studied. And even a little more for the Olympic Games, since there are twenty or twenty-four of us. You have to study them; The more we know them, the better.
Being first in the world ranking, does it give you peace of mind or does it generate pressure?
Being at the top of the ranking means that the season was regular because it is the sum of points from the championships. But it does not generate pressure, on the contrary, it tells you that the year is good and that I have options in the Olympic Games.
Where are you in your career?
I see myself in the best moment. This cycle is quite good, winning important medals and, currently, it is the best moment of my career. I don’t know if I will ever have another superior, but I do feel good and comfortable.
He will carefully study his rivals, but I also understand that it is important that this does not confuse him and that he can maintain his style.
You have to adapt judo to that of your opponent. Know if you are right or left-handed, but you have to have several options in case things don’t work out. It is necessary to change to try to surprise the rival.
How much video work does a judoka do?
We are doing it on a day-to-day basis and it also depends on the season. Before the Games, we will do it in more depth to know the rivals. It is not the same as a Grand Prix or a Grand Slam, the Games are every four years so everyone is more prepared and they even bring new things to do there.
I don’t think you can go to the inaugural parade.
No I can not. That day I will be weighing myself when people are parading. It’s always my turn because being the lowest weight in judo, I compete on the first day. I can never march in the Games.
How do you handle this fight against weight?
It is difficult for everyone to give weight, it does not matter if they are high or low weights. Everyone weighs five or six kilos and then you have to lose weight to make up. It’s always difficult, especially the last two kilos. In my case, I do try to eat as healthy as possible all year round. It’s something I like and, as soon as I get out of my routine, I’m already looking forward to eating well again. Even though I eat healthy, as the competition approaches, I have to reduce the amounts to lose and maintain the weight.
Once you go to the scale, do you suddenly get hungry or how does it work?
You reach that moment with a few days of hunger and thirst. In the end, you reduce the quantities of everything you eat quite a bit. You even reduce liquids and on the last day you become dehydrated. It is one of the most complicated things for a judoka and the first fight in every event is making weight. Then, once you achieve this, you can start hydrating and eating to be in the competition in the best possible condition. But yes, it is the most difficult and if it were not for the weight we could be fighting almost every weekend.
How do you get to Famu?
We come from Madrid and Mario Muzas welcomed us very well in the Galician Federation. And what’s better than being in Mario’s club? He has always been very good to us. A couple of years ago I was in Vigo for some judo days and we had a great time.
Are you clear about what to do after the Games?
The truth is that I don’t think beyond Paris. I don’t know if I will continue or not. I only think about those Games and, once they are over, I will take a long vacation. There I will decide if I want to continue competing or if it is time to retire and quit. When it is time to return to training to prepare for the next season, it will be time to think about whether I feel like continuing training as before.
When did you start judo?
With four years. He was very small and there are already 25 in this world. Lifetime. Since I was a child I always dreamed of getting a medal or being an Olympic and world champion. I already said it when I was 8 or 9 years old. From there, in the children’s category, you go to the Madrid Championship, then to the Spanish Championship and I became champion. Every year I was getting better results and as a junior is when I started to improve these results. There you take the step.
Do you remember watching judo on TV?
Now there is a little more judo on TV, but a few years ago it was impossible. Yes, I could search for something on the Internet or my parents bought me the typical 101 Iponnes videos and so on.
2024-05-06 06:49:18
#Games #favorites #win #medal
