One of the most successful female judoka ever on the planet Clarisse Agbegnenou is pregnant. She announced the happy news on her social media with her partner Thomas Grava. Agbegnenou has won two Olympic gold medals including the team event where she fought in a higher category U70kg and defeated the 2021 Olympic gold medallist being seven kilograms lighter.
“I had a lot of messages related to my absence on the Grand Slam de Paris and when will I be back on the mat!? I officially announce that I won’t resume right away because I’m pregnant!
This is something I was looking forward to as a woman! So I’m taking a break from my judoka career. But don’t worry I’ll be back for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games,
PS: We don’t know the gender of the baby yet!
Agbegnenou was close to the Olympic gold medal in Rio but we know how that went. She took a perfect and well deserved revenge where judo took the benefit with a great sportsmanship between the main players U63kg Agbegnenou and Tina Trstenjak of Slovenia. The friendship was nominated as moment of the year in the IJF Judo awards.
Agbegnenou is the flagbearer of France and previously she already answered on the wish of having a baby, she definitely said yes. For the French the 2024 Olympic Games are the absolute advertisement for what French sports is all about, but she said to be back in time.
Besides many other sponsorships, Agbegennou represents France as perhaps its best athlete in any sport. She is more than a judoka and told us about her ambassadorship for prematurely born babies.
Many top athletes also represent social foundations like Agbegnenou or are an ambassador or representative of a goal beyond the life of judoka.
Previously Kelita Zupancic, Kim Polling and Yuri Alvear announced their pregnancy. It is very common in a post Olympic year and Agbegnenou and Polling might have the powers to come back suceesfully, although that is never easy history proved. 1980 World Champion Anne-Maria de Mars, the mother of Ronda Rousey got back at level, Taciana de Lima, Katarzyna Klys, enough examples of women who may even got stronger from the mothership. First Agbegnenou will taste the beautiful period of being pregnant, then we will see. For now the plans are clear, get back in time but enjoy mothership first.