Odette Giuffrida’s cry of victory could not be topped. “All my work, my sporting career, was in that scream. Every training session and the seven world championships where things didn’t go so well.” Right after the award ceremony, the 29-year-old tells her own personal story. “The World Championship title is the biggest thing for me, my ultimate victory, perhaps even more special than a possible Olympic gold in Paris!” The background is actually sad. When Odette became a European Youth Champion in 2011 – at the age of 16 – and proudly showed the gold medal to her grandmother Giovanna, the grandma replied: Why don’t you want to be world champion one day? I’ve been chasing this dream of world championship gold ever since. But I’ve always wanted too much over the years, I kind of blocked myself and always failed.”
Last year, when winning a bronze medal at the World Championships in Doha, there were signs of a turnaround. “Okay, it wasn’t the title yet. But I knew she would be proud of me. Now, 13 years later, the dream from back then has come true. I’m really grateful, thanks god, that I can experience this. I’m so proud and relieved. It’s an unbelievably great feeling. I will never forget this day in my life.”
When asked about the Summer Games in Paris, the two-time Olympic medalist (silver in Rio, bronze in Tokyo) emphasized: “Of course I still want to win the missing gold. I’m going to do everything I can tomorrow and be one hundred percent focused.” Postscript: “But nobody can take this World Championship title away from me.”
Author: EJU Media