Clarisse Agbegnenou's life began with a fierce fight for survival: Born premature, with her twin brother, she spent weeks in an incubator, underwent surgery for a kidney malfunction, and even fell into a coma.
"When I was born I couldn't breathe. I was basically dead, and they resuscitated me," she told Olympics.com in an exclusive interview: "I went under surgery and was in a coma for almost a month. They even asked my parents if they could unplug me, but they wanted to wait a bit more, and one day I suddenly woke up."
Her parents' determination and her fighting spirit saw her through, shaping the resilience that would define her on the judo mat.
"Perhaps that's why I keep fighting every day, even now," the French judo star told us.
Clarisse Agbegnenou: Debut and triumphs
Agbegnenou began practising judo when she was nine years old, to channel her energy in a positive way. She joined the French division in Orléans at 14, and later, in 2009, she became a part of Insep, the National Institute of Sport, Expertise, and Performance, which is dedicated to training French champions.
At 20 years old, Agbegnenou announced herself on the international stage, winning a bronze medal at the European Championships in 2012. The next year, she won the European gold and a world silver medal. At 21, in 2014, she claimed her first world championship title.
Clarisse Agbegnenou: Olympic redemption
Agbegnenou's career has been marked by consistent excellence. If French compatriot Teddy Rinner impresses among the men with his eight world champion titles, Agbegnenou also commands respect with her consistency. She has become one of the best French judokas with five European and six world titles.
At the Rio 2016 Olympics, the French judoka won a silver medal. This left her feeling disappointed and determined to win gold at the next Olympics. However, the COVID-19 pandemic caused the Tokyo 2020 Games to be delayed, which initially devastated her.
Despite this setback, Agbegnenou stayed motivated and prepared for the Olympics by practising yoga and boxing. Arriving in Tokyo well-prepared and determined, she achieved her aim by claiming gold, winning the final against Tina Trstenjak, who had defeated her in Rio 2016.
Even after taking a hiatus following the birth of her daughter Athéna, Agbegnenou didn't waver in her pursuit of excellence. Her sixth world title in 2023 came just 11 months after the birth of her daughter.
Having achieved nearly every title possible, Agbegnenou now looks forward to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, aspiring to shine in front of her home crowd.
