In the glittering rain: Fabienne Kocher, the Aargau Sportswoman of the Year 2021.
The audience has decided: Fabienne Kocher is the new Aargau Sportswoman of the Year. The 28-year-old judoka from Stilli won bronze at the 2021 World Championships and a diploma at the Olympic Games. She prevailed in the election ahead of paraswimmer Nora Meister.
2021 was the most successful year in Fabienne Kocher’s career so far. Now the judo fighter is once again being rewarded and honored for her achievements, with the 28-year-old being voted the new Aargau Sportswoman of the Year by the public. Kocher prevailed over paraswimmer Nora Meister and beach soccer player Noel Ott.
Kocher, who lives in Stilli and trains at the National Training Center in Brugg, won bronze at the World Championships last season. As only the second Swiss ever. In addition, she thus secured the starting place at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, where she convinced again in fifth place.
As strange as it sounds: without Corona, Fabienne Kocher’s career might have been different. In 2020, when the Tokyo Olympics should actually have taken place, she had met the selection criteria. But because only one athlete per nation and weight class is eligible to start in judo and Evelyne Tschopp was ahead of her in the ranking at the time, Kocher would have been at a disadvantage and would have been a spectator.
But then came the year 2021. And exactly 20 years after Fabienne Kocher discovered judo at the age of eight, she experienced a flight of fancy like never before in her career. First, she won a medal for the first time in a tournament of the highest category, coming third in the Grand Slam in Tashkent. Then she was third at the World Championships in Budapest. And almost as a bonus, she overtook Tschopp in the ranking.
So Kocher was allowed to represent Switzerland in Tokyo and her dream of the Olympic Games came true in Japan, the birthplace of judo. A dream that was awakened when she took part in the Youth Olympic Games twelve years ago as a 16-year-old. Little did she know at the time that the fulfillment would one day end in tears of disappointment.
The disappointment came like a tsunami
In Tokyo, Kocher won all fights up to the semi-finals. Then she lost twice in a row. Instead of an Olympic medal, her fifth place and an Olympic diploma remained as consolation. She later wrote on her website about the moment when it became clear that she would be left without a medal:
“My head went blank from one second to the next, no emotions or feelings, just a quiet no, no, no. After that second, which felt like an eternity to me, disappointment tsunamied through me. Tears welled up in my eyes.”
It took time for her pride to get the better of her.
But this ambition to want more distinguishes top athletes. And stands at the origin of great successes. No wonder, she says: “I’m hungry for more. I was so close, now I really want this medal.” Kocher describes herself as strong-willed, as an athlete who has a high degree of self-discipline and subordinates everything to success. “I am convinced that with a little talent, a lot of hard work, an iron will and a little bit of luck, every dream can come true.”
Kocher, who grew up in the Zurich Oberland but has lived in Stilli in Aargau for seven years to train at the National Performance Center in Brugg, was already successful as a young athlete. She became U21 European champion and won bronze at the World and European Championships twice in the same age group. There is also a third place at the U23 European Championship.
But then, just as the transition to the elite took place, Kocher was downright unlucky. She injured her left knee four times in a row. The cruciate ligament tore twice and she injured her meniscus twice. In order to regain confidence in her knee, she learned special visualization techniques. She never thought of giving up.
A worthy stop
Still, it wasn’t easy. Because judo is a marginal sport in Switzerland, Kocher does not find it easy to finance her life. The contributions from Swiss Olympic, the funding contribution from Sporthilfe and sponsors cover Kocher’s most important expenses. But nothing is left.
The 28-year-old psychology student is therefore looking for further supporters for the next Olympic cycle, which ends in 2024 with the summer games in Paris. The recent successes are actually a strong argument. However, Fabienne Kocher is not overwhelmed by inquiries.
It also got off to a good start in the new year. Kocher finished third at the Grand Slam tournament in Paris. And yet she still sees room for improvement in herself. She believes an Olympic medal in Paris is possible. Now Fabienne Kocher is Aargau Sportswoman of the Year. It is a worthy stopover on your way to Mount Olympus.
The election results in numbers: 1. Fabienne Kocher (Judo) 1317 votes. 2. Nora Meister (paraswimming) 1091. 3. Noel Ott (beach soccer) 964. 4. Matthias Kyburz (OL) 822. 5. Michelle Heimberg (diving) 633. 6. Team Tirinzoni (curling) 362.
