Biography
Clarisse Agbegnenou's life began with a fierce fight for survival: Born premature, with her twin brother, she spent weeks in an incubator, underwent surgery for a kidney malfunction, and even fell into a coma.
"When I was born I couldn't breathe. I was basically dead, and they resuscitated me," she told Olympics.com in an exclusive interview: "I went under surgery and was in a coma for almost a month. They even asked my parents if they could unplug me, but they wanted to wait a bit more, and one day I suddenly woke up."
Her parents' determination and her fighting spirit saw her through, shaping the resilience that would define her on the judo mat.
"Perhaps that's why I keep fighting every day, even now," the French judo star told us.
Clarisse Agbegnenou: Debut and triumphs
Agbegnenou began practising judo when she was nine years old, to channel her energy in a positive way. She joined the French division in Orléans at 14, and later, in 2009, she became a part of Insep, the National Institute of Sport, Expertise, and Performance, which is dedicated to training French champions.
Featured
Clarisse AGBEGNENOU
Replays
Olympic Results
Athlete Olympic Results Content
You may like