They crossed the Atlantic to come and train for a month and a half in southern Mayenne! Ten Argentine judokas are at Château-Gontier at the moment until February 20. A partnership has been signed with the club and the community of municipalities to preparing for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Château-Gontier has become very popular with international athletes: several judokas who have won medals at the Olympic Games or world judo championships have already been trained there.
From Argentina to Mayenne
The training of these Argentinian judokas is intense: about twenty hours per week, with two daily sessions from Monday to Saturday. The instructions are given in Spanish, which facilitates the integration of athletes. “Ya debemos pensar en la competencia (We must already think about the competition)!“, launches Rodrigue Chenet, the technical and sports director of the judo club of Château-Gontier-sur-Mayenne.
He has already trained many international athletes and made a name for himself in the world of judo. “Since 2012, I organize international internships every year. We still have six Olympic champions who have come here, 15 world medals, 22 countries who have come here: there is notoriety, we must not hide it”, describes the Mayenne coach. This notoriety convinced Keisy Perafan, a 25-year-old Argentinian, to come and train in Mayenne. “I really like how we work with Rodrigue, she says. His physical preparation is different from what I have been able to do with other teachers. He is very dynamic. I really like his way of practicing judo and Château-Gontier is a very nice place“, she rejoices. This 25-year-old judoka is undoubtedly one of the future names in women’s judo: she finished fifth in the World Championship in Budapest in June.
At his side, Ayelen Elizeche, too, dreams of reaching this far in international competitions. “In one week of training, we have already been able to progress and I know that we will continue to do so. So I think it’s worth being there.”, rejoices this 25-year-old judoka.
The ten Argentine judokas will fly to Portugal to participate in an international competition at the end of January. Some of them are also registered for the Grand Slam of Paris, at the beginning of February. They will then leave Château-Gontier-sur-Mayenne to return to Argentina on February 20.
Three partnerships signed
The judo club of Château-Gontier-sur-Mayenne, as well as the community of municipalities, have signed two other partnerships for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. A Togolese athlete and an Ivorian athlete are also currently training in southern Mayenne. The club also trained for several years the Cameroonian Vanessa Mballa, several times African champion: she participated in the Tokyo Olympics in July 2021 before ending her career.
