Rochelle Nunes was eliminated this Friday in the 1/8 finals of the women’s 78 kg judo competition by Bosnian Larisa Cerić.
The 35-year-old Portuguese-Brazilian athlete suffered a choke and needed assistance to leave the mat. After recovering, she decided to share the personal drama that affected her participation in Paris: “It was very difficult to be here. Not many people know, but six months ago I lost my seven-year-old brother. My participation was at stake,” she said. “I was so sad. I thought, is it worth it, if the effort is worth it. I thought I couldn’t be here. If I learned anything from being Portuguese, it’s how resilient we are. I leave here very sad, but with this. confidence that I belong. The preparation was excellent.”