BELGRADE, Serbia (November 4) – Koumba LARROQUE (FRA) has done this before. Back in 2017, she won the U23 World gold as a 19-year-old.
Given her record in wrestling, Larroque could have skipped the ongoing U23 Worlds in Belgrade to focus on the next season after a busy 2021. But a lot had changed since she won the U23 title in Bydgoszcz, Poland.
The 23-year-old won the junior Worlds gold, silver at the senior Worlds in 2018 and was destined for greatness as Tokyo Olympics approached. But tragedy struck on the mat.
During the 2018 World final against Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR), Larroque got caught in a leg lace and injured her knee. The youngster took almost a year to recover but failed to finish on the podium at any world event. She qualified for the Tokyo Olympics but suffered a loss via fall. Two months later, she finished seventh at the Oslo Worlds after dropping a close one to Forrest MOLINARI (USA).
So Belgrade was a final push to finish on a high and regain some lost ground.
“It was my last competition in U23 and I am very happy to win because last month was not easy for me,” Larroque said. “I am happy that I will take some rest after winning a gold medal.”
Larroque, wrestling with a heavily strapped knee, defeated Vusala PARFIANOVICH (RUS) 3-0 after scoring a takedown from an ankle pick and a stepout. With that, she now has a cadet, two junior and two U23 world titles apart from the two medals at the senior level.
Since the Olympics, Larroque has been training away from her personal coach, who is on a break and the French wrestler had to make a few adjustments to her wrestling with the new staff.
“Right now I am at 66kg so it was easier for me to participate in 68kg,” she said. “But in Oslo, I was at 64kg so it was difficult. It was hard for me as my coach is not here and I did not have a lot of preparation.”
But with the sole objective of winning a gold in Belgrade, she came with a set plan of keeping it simple and not being over-attacking. Her first two bouts were high scoring but she took a cautious approach in the semifinal and final, scoring a total of only six points.
“I did not want to take points here,” she said. “I did not want to take much risk.”
Not only Larroque, but her father, who was watching from the stands, wanted his daughter to ascend to the top of the podium after watching her struggle for close to three years.
“I am so pleased,” Stephan LARROQUE said. “She had an injury in 2018 and she has achieved everything on her own so it’s great to see her win again.”
Now, the Larroques want her to make the family proud in Paris.
“Before Rio, I thought she will qualify for the Olympics but she did not,” he said. “In Tokyo, I was hoping she will win a medal and I will go but that did not happen. So let’s wait for Paris.”
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