Two-times World team champion (2016 and 2018), France’s Leila Heurtault, 25, of the Samourai 2000 Le Mans, is still in the race for the Olympic qualification. Very often in the foreground in international competitions, she remembers for us her victorious fight in 2018 at the Rabat 1er League (Morocco) against the world n°1, China’s Xiaoyan Yin.
By Florian Fournier / Photos : Kphotos
« In Rabat, in 2018, I had a striking and decisive fight for the rest of my career against China’s -61 kg World N°1. I’m not used to accurately remembering my fights, but this one left its mark on me.
This fight is the final, the atmosphere is quite special. Defeated in the previous competition by this same opponent, I am not psychologically scarred and I am relaxed before the final. With my coach Didier Moreau, we had worked tactically on her Karate. She’s a fighter who doesn’t go backward, she even tends to get close when doing a technique.
In this match, she was the first to score but it didn’t affect me and I remained calm. I was sure my chance to score would come. That’s what happened. On a Yoko geri that I do slightly out of range, she got forward, I then took my balance again to launch an Ura Mawashi geri jodan which gave me 3 points and allowed me to be ahead.
At that moment, I realized that I am able to beat her. I rarely perform leg techniques and scoring one against such an opponent boosted my confidence. It was like a dream where everything is going as planned.
At the end, I won 4 to 1. I realized the importance of this performance when I went off the mat. Everybody was telling me : « you beat the World N°1, you scored a beautiful Ura, look there is even the photo »... But it was mainly the fact of being very tactical that made me evolve. It was an aspect of my karate that I didn’t have totally in my bow at that time.
When I fought her in the final, I had no pressure because the podium was secured. So, I trusted Didier, our work set up on her and everything went as planned.
After the fight, the confidence gained by this win and the way I obtained it allowed me to move forward for the rest of my career and to bring me to the level I am nowadays.
Today, I am convinced that when I am led, if I follow the instructions, there is no reason that it works and that I will win.
This fight is also significant for the Olympic qualification. It was at the start of this qualifying phase and this win gave me a perfect start mentally speaking and in terms of points. Without knowing we would be going through a special era, this success is fundamental in my Olympic journey. However, I did not feel that my status in relation to others has changed. Beating the World N°1 didn’t make me a « warrior ». I continue my work, staying focused on my goal.
Speaking of goal, if there is a fight that could get this one out of my mind, it would be my win in the final of the next European championships that would qualify me for the Games. Regardless of who and how, qualifying for the Games would be unforgettable. But, for the moment, we don’t know how iq going to be the future... »
