Date: July 2007; Location: Rio de Janeiro sports complex. Final fight in the over 100 kilo division of the continental judo tournament. The favorite of the deafening fans, the local Joao Gabriel Schlittler and the Cuban Oscar Brayson, competed on the tatami.
After 10 minutes without technical points or penalties, the referee declares him the winner (hantei). That face of unlimited joy was transmitted to the world, I put it in my documentary but what did you experience at that moment?
Imagine that the opponent was Brazilian, that crowd cheered him, I couldn't mark him; Before hearing the verdict I see my teammates Oreydis Despaigne, Ronald Girones, Oscar Cárdenas jump and scream, among the men plus the girls on the team. They shout at me, you won! And what I felt is unspeakable. Years have passed and I am still living that great moment.
It was judo's first gold medal at the Pan American Games in Rio. That was spectacular, I didn't believe it; That moment marks a milestone in my career.
Where are you right now, what are you doing?
I am in Honduras on a self-employed work contract, raising the level of judo in this Central American country. Previously, I was in San Salvador taking part in the judo training of that country towards the Central American and Caribbean Games of that nation; I worked with the 100 kilo bronze medalist, Diego Turcio, in addition to achieving two tickets for the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile: Jairo Moreno (60 kilos) and Gustavo López (81 k).
We could say like, like, like, if we take into account that you are the son of judokas.
Well yes, my parents María Victoria Vidal and Oscar Brayson were judokas for the national team in the 80s and I owe everything to them. I always liked sports. I played basketball and wrestling at EIDE. At ages 15-16 I moved on to judo. I remember in those early ages the professors Tejeda, Osvaldo, Jiménez, Jabao García, Emilio in those three disciplines; Specifically, Tovar and Agüero guided me through school judo.
How do you get to the national team?
Professor García speaks to my parents, both judokas as I already told you, because they were recruiting big boys, of maximum weights. My dad decided to take me to the “José Ramón Rodríguez” International Tournament that took place in Sancti Spíritus. Professor Justo Noda saw me there, who was impressed by my size, the same size I had now.
How old were you at that time?
15 years
And what happened?
Noda told teacher Lázaro: “look at this.” They saw me compete, I won bronze and they took me to the national team.
But the least you had learned in your early stages was judo.
In addition. I came to learn judo in the national team; double work because at the same time as I was learning I had to prove that they had not taken me for pleasure. I had to rise to the occasion.
What do you remember from those beginnings?
Fundamentally I remember the girls; The quality was there: Amarlys, Legna, Driulis, Sibelis, Revé, Estelita, Dayma, Luna, tremendous team! Among the men, Manolo Poulot, Yosvany Despaigne, Frank Moreno, Ismael Borboña, Yordanis Arencibia... they inspired me to keep going.
Hey, Professor Ronaldo Veitía sometimes approached me, he advised me; I treasure very pleasant memories of him, the greatest, the one who put Cuban judo on top of the world. And of course, Justo Noda, whom I always thank for having noticed me.
I remember the advice of Juan Ferrer Lahera, Isaac Azcuy, José Ibáñez. Manolo, from athlete to coach, collaborated a lot in my training. And of course the teachers Noda, Alderete, Senén Ramos who were always attentive to any detail of my preparation.
I admired the fighter Alexis Rodríguez; I was a wrestler and I loved seeing him on the mat because of his tremendous agility. I wanted to be like him on the tatami.
Main skills that you remember?
Although we already talked about Rio, I have to start there because I didn't have a golden prediction and when I saw myself in the final, the heavens opened up for me. It was a tough, technical fight and in the end they gave the decision to me. I danced at the top house; the first judo gold (m) It was one of the happiest days of my life. And I really thought I had lost when I saw the central referee raise the white flag, but those in the corners raised the blue one, which was me.
At the 2011 Guadalajara Pan American Games he was injured, with a swollen ankle, a lot of pain. They weren't counting on me but I had to go out and defend my title.
I went through a difficult draw and reached the final with another Brazilian, Rafael Carlos da Silva, and I won again. You can't imagine my joy!
Between one Pan American and another, the Beijing Olympic Games also bring back good memories.
Going up to an Olympic podium, in a country where judo is very popular, what can I tell you? But you know? I could have won the gold but I got the tactics wrong.
In 2008 I had beaten great athletes, world and Olympic champions and medalists and I could have won, it was my year! I reached the semi-final with the Uzbek Addullo Tangrieg, a phlegmatic guy; I was beating him by yuco and koka, which existed when those existed, and from the corner Professor Noda yells at me to get away. I didn't pay attention, I went up to him and he pinned me with 20 seconds left in the fight. The final against the Japanese would have been easier for me.
And in the 2009 World Cup in Rotterdam, when you touched the scepter, what happened?
There I lost to a great rival, the Frenchman Teddy Riner, by a difference of one shido. It was a good fight. I have beaten him, something that very few have done on the tatami of the planet.
What do you expect from Cuban sports in Paris?
I can't talk to you about medals although we Cubans overcome the greatest difficulties; There you have Mijaín and his fifth Olympic gold medal. There will always be others who can stand out. In the case of judo there are Andy Granda, Iván Silva and Odalys Ortiz, a historical figure who marks a milestone in her journey along the Olympic path. I wish all the success in the world to all the Cuban athletes who will participate in Paris 2024.
What do you think?
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