Rio Olympic champion Fabio BASILE (ITA) is back – on the one hand physically, after a very complicated shoulder operation, on the other hand athletically in his “beloved – 66 kg category”. He returns to Turin from the GP in Linz with a (bronze) medal. Before that, he took time for an EJU interview.
How important is this Grand Prix bronze medal for you – on your comeback in the -66 kg weight category?
Fabio Basile: “Extremely important! It feels good. I had a very difficult time – with the death of my brother Michele. Moreover I had lots of troubles with my left shoulder. My doctor told me it would take a year to get back to full fitness after the operation. I answered him: I’ll do it in three, four months. I have no time to lose.”
How do you assess your current form?
Basile: “I came back after three months and 20 days. I’m fighting every day to be back at 100 per cent as soon as possible. I feel like I’m at about half that, which is 50%. My left arm still feels weaker. The muscle mass is not fully back yet.”
What’s next for you now?
Basile: “I will fly to the GP in Dushanbe (TJK) at the beginning of June. I need tournaments and I need world ranking points urgently.”
What are your goals for the rest of the year, or in other words, where do you want to be at the end of the year?
Basile: “I don’t think like that: I’m busy being 100 per cent fit again. I want to fight as well as possible in the tournaments. My goal: I want to be in the shape of my life at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, similar to what I was before Rio. That’s the big goal!”
Judoka
Author: EJU Media