Mental Health: Andreja Leski just had huge pleasure on the mat

Andreja Leski, 27, is a top player. She was twice World Silver Medalist (in 2021 and 2023) and was the European Champion in 2023. But going into Paris 2024, she wasn’t among the highest-ranking players in her category (she was No. 7).

Leski is capable both in standing and groundwork, and this was evident in her first two matches. The first was won with a throw, followed by an armlock. Her second and third matches were won by quashing her opponent’s attacks and proceeding to pin them for the win.

Her bid for Olympic glory could easily have ended at the semifinal stage for she was up against her nemesis, Clarisse Agbegnenou, whom she had fought five times before (in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023 and 2024). Her defeat to Agbegnenou this year was at the Abu Dhabi World Championships.

Those five past defeats didn’t faze her though, and Leski gave Agbegnenou as good as she got. The match was about to head into Golden Score when out of the blue, Leski scored waza-ari with a very fast kouchi-gari. With only 15 seconds left, there was not enough time for Agbegnenou to get the score back or to force a third shido on Leski.

Having survived Agbegnenou, you would have thought the worse was over. But imagine her horror when just 30 seconds into the match, Prisca Awiti Alcaraz (MEX) scored with a yoko-tomoe-nage. It only scored waza-ari but with some tactical fighting, her opponent could very well maintain her lead until the end of the match.

Leski didn’t allow that to happen though. She took Awiti Alcaraz to the edge of the mat and threw her with an underhook tsurikomi-goshi followed by a hold-down for ippon. Once again, Leski’s groundwork capabilities came to the rescue. And with that hold-down, Leski was able to join her compatriots Tina Trstenjak and Urska Zolnir as an Olympic gold medalist.