JUDO | INTERVIEW | EUROPE UNDER’23 CHAMPIONSHIP
Ayumi Leiva took to the mat in a decisive bout in Pila, Poland. The 22-year-old Spanish-Cuban was facing her first European sub’23 in the -52 kg category. His technique, perfected after months of training with his coach Laura Gómez, was impeccable. Confidence was breathed in every movement and, in front of her, a large-scale rival. However, Ayumi seemed to have absolute clarity in every attack and defense. The timer ticked down to the final seconds when she executed her last masterful move, which secured her gold medal after defeating one of the favorites in the final.
“I felt very good, I had everything very clear: the work we had done, the objectives and each step I had to take. My coach, Laura Gómez, was a fundamental pillar. He was with me at all times, analyzing everything in each fight. She told me exactly what to do, how to adapt to each opponent, how to find the weak points to take her down. We follow the strategy to the letter. In the end, I thought it was going to cost me a little more, but it was better than I thought.”
Ayumi’s path to European gold has been the result of constant growth to reach the top. From winning bronze in the Astana Grand Slam to obtaining silver in the Portuguese Grand Prix, it was only a matter of time before the judoka won the coveted gold medal. “I lost the Grand Prix final, but I have a very good taste, a golden taste knowing that I gave it my all.”
Born in Havana, Cuba, Ayumi’s relationship with judo began almost by chance. At the age of eight he enrolled in classes in his neighborhood, thinking it was simply a game. However, her natural talent quickly caught the attention of coaches, who saw great potential in her. “I remember that I stood out above the other children and that I learned everything very quickly, and although at first I wasn’t so fascinated by it, I grew up and, after I won the fights, I didn’t want to lose my skills. Little by little I began to like it, the coaches saw good things in me, that I could become great. So I continued until I made the national team when I was 18.”
This innate talent for judo led her to stand out and achieve important achievements in her native country, establishing herself as an athlete with great potential. However, his path to success has not been easy. Ayumi had to face numerous challenges, including conflicts with the national team that hindered her progress. These difficulties not only slowed down his athletic development, but also caused him deep physical and mental exhaustion. The pressure and tensions accumulated ended up temporarily distancing her from the sport, extinguishing her passion and desire to continue advancing in judo. “I was on the national team for two years and I really didn’t feel well. The teachers abused me psychologically, humiliated me, and ruined the girls verbally. If they taught you a technique, they yelled at you. One day I got tired and told my mother that I would quit judo or leave the country.”
Ayumi’s circumstances forced her to leave her country, family and friends to seek success and continue her process in judo in a place where she could be away from mistreatment and abuse. In August 2022, the judoka moved to Spain, taking advantage of a stopover in Madrid for the Cuban delegation heading to the Junior Pan American qualifier in Cali, Colombia. During that stopover, Ayumi and another companion escaped from their team and requested political asylum from the Red Cross at the Adolfo Suárez Barajas Airport in Madrid. “I remember that I got very nervous, because there was no turning back. I knew I had to move on no matter what. I was very afraid to think about when I would see my mother again, how long I would be away without being able to see her. I began to imagine many bad things. But well, when the plane landed I said to myself: ‘It’s time, it’s time, I’m not going to look back.’ So I got off the plane and ran through the airport. From there my entire nationality process began.”
Valencia, your new home
After making that decision that would change his life, Leiva stayed for a few months in a foster home in Madrid. However, her mind was still focused on showing her potential and becoming a high-performance athlete in this discipline. Sugoi Uriarte, European champion and world silver medalist, and Laura Gómez, European bronze medalist, learned about Ayumi’s story and wanted to give her a chance by offering to move her to Valencia, a city that continues to increase its medal tally in international competitions in this sport. “The first time I saw Laura, she was super friendly, with spectacular treatment. I thought: ‘This is my place, I have to be here.’ When we returned to Madrid, I brought a letter of introduction from the president of the Valencian Federation of Judo and Associated Disciplines (FEAR), and then they sent us to Valencia. From that day I knew that this place was my home.”
Since her arrival in Valencia, Ayumi has managed to reconnect with judo and understood that it was her true sport. Although she did not feel happy in Cuba due to the circumstances, Spain offered her a new perspective, surrounding her with coaches and people who supported her, giving her the treatment and discipline necessary to reach her highest level on the tatami. “I began to notice the difference between Cuba and Spain. That difference was in the way the coaches taught me. In Cuba I couldn’t express myself, so I rejected judo, but then I understood that it wasn’t judo, but the coaches, and when I arrived here, I learned the positive and everything it could contribute to me.”
Despite the difficulties and being away from her mother, who is her greatest source of inspiration, Ayumi has managed to overcome every obstacle that has come her way. “Don’t give up and be strong. “Judo is your future, it will get you ahead.” They are his mother’s words; a principle that guides her not only in sport, but also in life. «She always calls me super happy. He tells me: congratulations, I told you, that you were going to get ahead. I believe that every time I win a medal, a message from my mother is always there. Always at night she reminds me, don’t trust yourself, always strong, aggressive. When I haven’t had the desire to train or continue, I think that we have to make mom happy.”
2024 has been a year of triumphs for Ayumi. With six competitions and five medals, including the gold medal at the European Championships, she has established herself as one of the most promising judokas. “It has been a beautiful year that has given me very nice things, it gave me personality, the medals. Now I have the Spanish championship left and I plan to also finish it with a gold and close the year well.” Nowadays, she wakes up wanting to give her best in training. “Judo has given me the person I am. “I give my all in every training session because, in the end, things will work out when I compete.” This mentality, talent and discipline have been key in his growth. But Ayumi does not stop: “My goal is the 2025 World Cup and qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. I want to get on the podium.”
