April Lynn FUHOUO (SUI/-70) danced around the edge of the mat with joy, moments later she was hugging family and friends in the stands. The joy and relief was written all over the 18-year-old Swiss girl’s face.
“Major championships and me, that just hasn’t worked out so far, neither with the cadets nor with the juniors. In 2022, I came fifth in the European Under-18 Championships in Porec, and the following year I came fifth in both the World and European Championships Juniors,” admitted April Lynn after the award ceremony, with the gold medal around her neck.
It was an almost perfect day on the mat. The top-seeded Swiss athlete needed a total of 14:11 minutes for her four victories. “I tried hard to be super-focussed, I didn’t want to make any mistakes.” But in the quarter-finals, in the duel with Tanja GRÜNWALD (GER), a mishap occurred. “I injured my right hand and thumb, when I fell. It really hurts, I had to be bandaged. But I really wanted to make it to the final and win a medal this time.”
No sooner said than done! The fighting spirit paid off. In the end, April Lynn stood there with the gold medal and was able to celebrate with her family: “I’m so relieved, so happy – despite the pain in my right hand. I didn’t want to go home without a medal again. Now I have my first title – I’m really proud.”
The pain will hopefully soon be gone, the title will remain.
Author: EJU Media