It was almost the Olympic fairytale for Judo Austria’s Lubjana PIOVESANA. On the fourth day of the judo event in the Paris Olympic Games, Piovesana came out strong in the -63kg category, having already given some of her best performances to date in 2024 and building her confidence within a new team. It didn’t start so smoothly though…
When I first had the Austrian passport, I think I was just so nervous because I hadn’t fought for so long, I was scoring waza ari in opening seconds and then I felt like I had no defence, also I felt a pressure to prove that I ‘still had it’, I had success before but I had a huge break. There was a year out because of covid, I then fought in the Masters, then a two year break.
After a couple of early exits on the IJF World Tour, it was back to the drawing board,
I fought in a European Open in Rome to get some fights, and took a bronze medal and it felt good to be back on the podium and to win a medal, then I placed fifth in the Antalya Grand Slam when I felt more confident. After this I took fifth place at the Worlds, and then it just started to flow again, I also started working with a psychologist who really helped me, so 2024 was a much better year for me. When it was decided that I’d be fighting in the Olympics it was even more pressure off my shoulders and I was more relaxed.
Leading up to the Olympics we did two weeks in Porec, and actually I wasn’t fighting that well there, but afterwards we went to Valencia and Benidorm, and I really felt like I had the best camp ever, and I even said to Yvonne (Sir-Bönisch) that If the Olympics were that weekend I think I’d take a medal! [she laughs] So yes, a few back to back and then it was time for Paris!
So, I went to Paris really wanting to enjoy the experience, so many people said they weren’t going to the opening ceremony, and then there’s me, standing in the rain until 2am singing to Celine Dion, absolutely soaking wet. I just thought that I may never be here again, just enjoy it, the village was really cool, I felt like a tourist most of the time but looking back it was just amazing.
In spite of the Olympic experience, Piovesana was there to do a job and give the best performance she could in the hopes of taking an Olympic medal.
I didn’t sleep so well the night before, I will say it affected my confidence, I just didn’t feel good. With my first fight I felt like I could win though, I knew her well and knew I was stronger, then again I’ve really messed up in situations where I’ve been winning so anything could have happened. After I won the first, I had a fight that people were talking about, I’d seen Facebook posts and people were talking in general, but I just put it in my head that everyone is there is a hard fight, I just tried to not let it get in my head too much that it’d be a GB player.
It was certainly an interesting quarter in the -63kg category, alongside Piovesana were Lucy RENSHALL and Prisca AWITI ALCARAZ, and all three were originally Great Britain athletes. Though she managed to succeed over Renshall, Awiti Alcaraz now of Mexico took the win in the quarter final sending Piovesana to the repechage.
The repechage I think was my favourite contest, in front of the crowd it was just incredible, I lost to the Korean athlete (KIM Jisu) at the Worlds quite quickly, so then to beat her quickly felt good because she’s so strong. It was really nice, but fighting against Clarisse (Agbegnenou) was not! Standing in the tunnel wasn’t so bad and it wasn’t so loud until they announced her name, the noise, it had nothing on the Paris Grand Slam or the European Championships.
Many would have struggled to get in to the contest with what seemed like the entire arena against them, but Piovesana found her second wind.
At this point I really felt like I had nothing to lose, I had to give it absolutely everything and in the first minute it was going really well and I think I just got over excited. Then I did a left o soto gari that I’ve never done before, on Clarisse of all people, and she just finished it. It was funny because I had so many people on the street come up to me because they’d seen the fight with her on TV.
My parents were there, but Laurin (Boehler) and my dad were in the arena, they were shouting for me but said there was no chance I’d hear them. My mum was outside because she didn’t want to come in and watch, she had no clue what was going on so I called her in the break before the repechage, she was just sitting outside waiting.
I didn’t actually come back with the Austrian team because they went back to Vienna which is quite far from me, so I was a bit sad, I took the train and arrived home to Laurin, knowing they’d all be at a huge party. So he told me we were going to his parents for dinner, but when we arrived, all our friends and the judo club were in the garden, all decorated with lights and ‘5’ everywhere! It was such a good day, yes I missed out on the medal, but the fights were big ones for me. It’s my best result in my career.
It’s been a nice break from competition for Piovesana, but as the host of the Mittersill OTC, it’s a full camp for Team Austria, the perfect way to kickstart the new season and a bid for another Olympic Games!
Judoka
Author: Thea Cowen