Par Gaël Arcuset
Published on May 8, 24 at 7:02 p.m. See my news Follow Le Républicain Sud-Gironde
Now or never. Expression designating the opportune moment to carry out an action. Possible synonym: Stéphanie Possamaï.
In 2008, at the Beijing Olympic Games, the French judokate, competing in the under 78 kg category, was able to triumph over her bete noire, the Spaniard Esther San Miguel, to win the bronze medal.
Stéphanie Possamaï or an eye for detail
Never in the past, during their previous confrontations, had the Sud-Girondine, originally from Gornac, a village of 440 inhabitants near Sauveterre-de-Guyenne (Gironde), won.
How was she able to tip the scales in her favor on D-day? Thanks to a tiny detail… A few months earlier, as part of her preparation, Stéphanie Possamaï had gone to meet a trainer.
I brought a video of the Spaniard. Very quickly, he was able to identify something… A change of support.
Stéphanie Possamaï
The judoka therefore works on this point. And, on Thursday August 14, 2008, on the tatami in Beijing, while the cameras of the whole world were focused on her, the South-Girondine did well in this small final. “I was able to place what we had prepared. » The Frenchwoman, moved to tears, exulted with joy and won bronze. “An extraordinary memory,” she confides. Because it is the fruit of years of training. »
Requirement. Determination. Efforts. These are the essential ingredients for success for any judo practitioner. To conquer without danger, we triumph without glory, it is customary to say. To obtain this medal, Stéphanie Possamaï toiled and had to endure the worst suffering; especially on the day of the competition.
Stéphanie Possamaï avoids pitfalls in repechage
After two victories, she lost her third fight. Result: she must go through the repechage, three face-to-face meetings during which defeat is prohibited. One wrong step and it’s elimination. “It was such a stressful day, mentally difficult. There was also media pressure… Everything was hard, remembers the Gornacaise. I fought six fights, suffered several injuries. »
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Rest assured: the sequel is decidedly more joyful. The return to her village of Gornac and to the dojo of Sauveterre-de-Guyenne, where she started judo, constitutes an unforgettable memory, “strong in emotions”.
Welcomed by a delirious crowd, the Olympic medalist savored this just reward. “I didn’t expect so many people,” she declared at the time to Républicain Sud-Gironde. I discovered the banners in Gornac, it was worse than the Champs-Élysées! » At the same time, it was the ideal moment to celebrate an extraordinary champion. The famous “now or never”…
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2024-05-08 17:13:05
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