On Saturday, the Michel-Amand complex hosted the Poitiers junior excellence tournament. More than 360 judo hopefuls flocked from all over France to compete. Among them was Audric Lecoester, member of the Couhé Judo Club and young hopeful from Vienne, who came accompanied by two other representatives of the club, including his brother.
The judoka who cut his teeth at the Judo Club Gencéen, entered the sports section in fifth grade, before joining the Poitiers hopeful center in third grade. Last March he won the regional cadet championship of Nouvelle-Aquitaine in the -66 kg category. Today, in his last year at the Poitiers hope center, he is not yet sure about his future, but dreams of the France center. He participated for the first time last year in the Coupe de France, with an early elimination. “He failed to free himself”according to his trainer Ludovic Douteau.
Hard worker
Before the event began, the young man, who had just moved up to juniors, was lucid about the difficulty of this weekend’s competition against older opponents. “The tournament is going to be complicated. You have to give everything so as not to regret anything. » Another change that the member of JC Couhé must face is his arrival in the -73 kg category. “He’s still missing a few kilos”says Ludovic Douteau. It describes a boy who is very hardworking and seeks to overcome adversity. “He had a big shoulder injury last year and he was injured again at the start of the year. He works a lot. The important objectives arrive from January, all that’s a bonus. »
Unfortunately, at the junior excellence tournament in Poitiers, Audric Lecoester was eliminated in his first fight. However, he tried to learn lessons from this confrontation. “I felt good physically but it was me who made the mistake, I am the only one responsible for my defeat. » Far from being discouraged, he plans to go to the senior tournament in Nantes next weekend: the opportunity to try again to compete in the -66 kg, a category where he performed better. The young man, still discovering a new category, continues his preparation seriously.
