Cheick Cissé and Ruth Gbagbi, pioneers of Ivorian taekwondo, take up the fight again

Written by Simon Bardet – full article – Paris 2024 : Cheick Cissé et Ruth Gbagbi, les pionniers du taekwondo ivoirien repartent au combat (francetvinfo.fr)

The two taekwondo’s athletes made history for their country at the Rio Games in 2016: Cheick Cissé by becoming the first Olympic champion in Côte d’Ivoire’s history, and Ruth Gbagbi by becoming the first woman to stand on a podium.

 They will always be the frontrunners. Cheick Cissé and Ruth Gbagbi took Côte d’Ivoire to the heights of Olympus at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. When Cheick Cissé struck gold at the last second of his -80 kg final, becoming the first Ivorian athlete to win the most beautiful of metals, Ruth Gbagbi returned from Brazil with a bronze medal, bringing the Ivorian women’s sport its very first medal, in the -67 kg category.

This performance by the two taekwondo’s athletes had an immediate effect: the discipline became the second most popular sport in Côte d’Ivoire, behind football. “The number of practitioners has tripled, explains Cheick Cissé. We’ve seen more and more young people training to become like us. It’s really had a positive effect on the youth.”

Photo: Taekwondo athlete Cheick Cissé, the first Olympic champion in Côte d’Ivoire’s history, on 19 August 2016 in Rio de Janeiro. (SOUTELLO / SIPA)

It was her mother – fed up with Ruth ‘’getting into a lot of brawls‘’ – who enrolled her in taekwondo at the age of 8, even though the young girl had originally dreamed of being a footballer. In Cissé’s family, it was his father who encouraged Cheick to take up combat sports. Here too, “it was a good thing, he admits. I was very turbulent. Sport got me off the streets, kept me from doing negative things after school, and helped me develop my spirit and my values of excellence and respect.”

Some mentors from France

Sport channelled them – Ruth was no longer skipping school – and their commitment set the example for other young people in their neighbourhoods, and enabled them to make rapid progress.

“My gym manager immediately saw in me a future champion, says the double Olympic bronze medallist (2016 and 2021). He made me fight against men, which is what made me the warrior I am today, this brave, combative, resilient girl.”

To climb taekwondo’ world rankings, Cheick Cissé relied on role models, notably Didier Drogba, the Ivorian footballer who played for Marseille and Chelsea, who was always generous with encouragements for his country’s athletes and is still extremely popular there, ten years after his last matches for the national team.

Quote: “When I found out that you could have an international career in this discipline, I said to myself that I was going to be the Didier Drogba of taekwondo”. Ruth Gbagbi, double Olympic bronze medallist

The Rio Olympic champion was also able to count on the support of his mentors. “I took part in several training camps thanks to Pascal Gentil [former French taekwondo athelte, double Olympic bronze medallist], who was an extraordinary role model, recalls Cheick Cissé. “And I can’t forget Marlène – Harnois, bronze medallist at London 2012, world champion and double European champion.

The French-Canadian passed on her knowledge by becoming fully involved in the careers of Cheick Cissé and Ruth Gbagbi. “Marlène left everything behind to come to Côte d’Ivoire, because she saw our talent and the pool of talent we had in Africa. She came to Koumassi to inspire us, to show us her bronze medal, and told us: ‘You can do it, you just have to be diligent, work hard and persevere’’, explains Cheick Cissé.

Quote: “Marlène Harnois has enabled Côte d’Ivoire to shine and bring home medals.” Cheick Cissé, Olympic champion at Rio 2016

She passed on the torch to Ruth Gbagbi, Côte d’Ivoire’s first female athlete to win a medal at the Games, and a role model for the country. “This Olympic medal has enabled women to believe in themselves and has encouraged them to become leaders in various fields,” says Gbagbi with satisfaction. Sport is one of them: “There are now plenty of women in taekwondo, and some young girls are even winning international medals. In athletics, we have Marie-Josée Ta Lou and Murielle Ahouré, who have encouraged women to take up their sport. For Paris 2024, individual sports are mostly represented by women in Côte d’Ivoire.”

Photo: Ruth Gbagbi, in blue, displays her flexibility during the semi-finals of the Tokyo Olympic Games on 26 July 2021. (MAXPPP)

The Paris Olympics are eagerly awaited by the two taekwondo athletes, who can count on the unfailing support of their family and friends: “It’s like taking part in the Olympics at home, laughs Cheick Cissé. It’s pretty special because my wife and child are French. I’m sure there’ll be a lot of people behind me, because I’ve got a lot of brothers in Paris.”

Ruth Gbagbi is aiming for a third Olympic medal, which she hopes will be in a different metal to her previous two. “With my experience, I know that the most important thing for me is to prepare in good physical and mental conditions, and with God’s grace,” she explains.

Photo: Cheick Cissé presents his 2023 World Champion medal to the Vice-President of Côte d’Ivoire, Tiémoko Meyliet Koné, in Abidjan on 23 June 2023. (SIA KAMBOU / AFP)

“I believe in the future of Africa, the future of Côte d’Ivoire,’ says Cheick Cissé. It’s in the interests of young people to keep working, because tomorrow the country will continue to develop. And it’s important to focus on young people. With our experience and with the resources provided by the Ivorian government, new champions will emerge. I can see it in taekwondo, there are good seeds, future champions.” Ruth Gbagbi (-67 kg) is due to compete under the glass roof of the Grand Palais on Friday 6 August, before Cheick Cissé (+80 kg) on Saturday.

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