Q: You came very close to winning your first IJF World Tour title in Dusseldorf, taking the fight to double World Champion Chizuru Arai of Japan into Golden Score. In the heat of the battle did you momentarily forget about the transition rule which allowed Arai to score from the ground?
A: At that very moment I thought we were already in newaza because both our knees were on the ground but she stood up and was then able to throw me.
Q: What do you think of this transition rule which allows players to throw their opponents as they transition from groundwork to standing?
A: I like the idea of transitions, especially from standing to groundwork but the new rule that allows transitions from the ground to standing is not very suitable for me. I’m just more used to transition from standing to groundwork. I’ve trained a lot for that.
Q: On the way to the final you had to face some pretty tough opposition including three players who were past winners of IJF events. Does your good performance in Dusseldorf give you confidence going forward?
A: I’m happy with the results because last year was a difficult one for me. I didn’t get the results I wanted and suffered some injuries as well. It caused me to question myself a lot. So, getting the silver in Dusseldorf is a good shot of confidence. But I feel there's still a lot of room for improvement.
Q: Based on the Olympic rankings you have qualified already. But now, the Games have been postponed. How do you feel about that?
A: So close yet so far, is how I feel about it. But I try not to dwell on this and am focusing on the positive side of things. I’m still young and with an additional year of training, I'll emerge stronger and more experienced for the Olympics.
Q: How old were you when you started judo? And when did you decide you wanted to become a serious international competitor?
A: I started judo at six years old. I didn’t really have any big aspirations — I just went with the flow all the way. It was only last year that I decided to become a professional athlete.
Q: What motivated you to do so?
A: I want to be the best version of myself, to see how far I can go in international competitions.
Q: What are you doing these days now that the judo clubs are closed?
A: Over here, athletes who were headed for the Olympics have access to the facilities to do self-training like weight training, circuits and jogging. No judo but we are allowed to train with dummies.
Q: Are you feeling anxious or frustrated about being locked-down?
A: Not really because I love to be at home. I get to spend time with my family, call my boyfriend and chat with him, play with the cat, do some cooking, catch up on some reading and watch some movies. And of course, I train a lot. I’m lucky to live in the countryside where the weather is good.
Q: Do you feel any withdrawal symptoms from not being able to do any judo though?
A: Yes, of course. I’ve even asked my dad to put on a judogi!
Q: In Belgium do you have a lot of suitable training partners?
A: There are not that many suitable randori partners, so we don’t do that much randori. We focus on techniques and drills. For quality randori, we go abroad for training camps.
Q: Are you a student as well or full-time doing judo?
A: I’ve stopped my studies to dedicate myself to judo. I’m grateful to have the sponsorship to do what I love.
Q: Any words for other judo players who are also stuck in a lock-down?
A: This is a sad situation but we can use this time to think about what really matters to us and hopefully, learn something from it. Take care of yourself and others around you.
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