Personal information | |
---|---|
Nationality | French, Beninese |
Born | Melun, France | 15 October 1996
Occupation | Judoka |
Sport | |
Country | ![]() |
Sport | Judo |
Weight class | –81 kg |
Achievements and titles | |
World Champ. | R64 ( 2024) |
African Champ. | 5th ( 2022, 2023) |
Profile at external databases | |
IJF | 67568 |
JudoInside.com | 155325 |
Updated on 20 July 2024 |
Valentin Houinato (born 15 October 1996) is a French–Beninese judoka and journalist. He qualified to represent Benin at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Houinato was born on 15 October 1996 in Melun, France. [1] [2] He has Beninese ancestry through his father, and Houinato visited the country several times growing up. [3] He played football as a youth, but his mother did not like the sport and signed him up for judo instead. [2] He competed in judo for a time but eventually quit the sport; when he was age 17, he decided to return to the sport. [2] He became a black belt in 2014. [4] However, he suffered a broken arm early into his return to judo and then competed at a low level for the following three years. [2] He then left his club, in Brétigny-sur-Orge, and joined one in Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois, Essonne. [2]
Houinato attended school in Montpellier, studying journalism, and received a bachelor's degree in information and communication. [1] [2] He joined a club in Montpellier and rose through the ranks, competing in the 81 kg category. [2] He ultimately reached a ranking in the top 20 nationally. [5] After he graduated from school, Houinato also became a journalist for the broadcaster Radio France. [6]
In 2022, Houinato, with a goal of ultimately competing at the Summer Olympic Games, decided to compete in judo for his father's home country of Benin, as it gave him a better opportunity of making the Olympics. [7] However, due to the limited resources of Beninese athletic associations, Houinato mostly paid by himself to travel to tournaments, train, and get equipment. [7] He described in Le Monde the difficulty of working full-time as a journalist and competing in judo: "there are a lot of struggles, so I'm talking about a lot of struggles ... I've been walking on a tightrope for months." [7] Houinato placed fifth at the 2022 African Judo Championships and did the same again in 2023; he also won bronze medals at African Open events four times from 2023 to 2024, and competed at the 2024 World Judo Championships, where he lost in the round of 64. [8] [9] [10]
As the Olympics approached, Houinato created a weekly radio show, "La Prépa", where he described his attempts to qualify. [3] [11] He told France 24 of his experience with journalism and judo: "It's a taste [of] hell because I don't sleep. I get up early, I go to bed late. I go to muscular training in the morning before I come to the radio. I'm coming to the editorial conference, I'm doing my day, and, when the news allows, I go straight to the judo after." [3] Le Monde noted in April 2024:
For over a year, Houinato has been juggling work, training and tournaments without a coach to help him, dealing with injuries and struggling to find money – all on his own. He has a small sponsor and has launched an online fundraising campaign. All this exhausts him physically and mentally, sometimes to the point of bringing him to tears. A doctor told him he was suffering from "cognitive overload" and prescribed antidepressants. [7]
By April 2024, Houinato's global ranking was 70th. [7] To qualify, Houinato needed to rank in the top 12 in Africa. [3] He ultimately was successful in qualifying. [12]
Personal information | |
---|---|
Nationality | French, Beninese |
Born | Melun, France | 15 October 1996
Occupation | Judoka |
Sport | |
Country | ![]() |
Sport | Judo |
Weight class | –81 kg |
Achievements and titles | |
World Champ. | R64 ( 2024) |
African Champ. | 5th ( 2022, 2023) |
Profile at external databases | |
IJF | 67568 |
JudoInside.com | 155325 |
Updated on 20 July 2024 |
Valentin Houinato (born 15 October 1996) is a French–Beninese judoka and journalist. He qualified to represent Benin at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Houinato was born on 15 October 1996 in Melun, France. [1] [2] He has Beninese ancestry through his father, and Houinato visited the country several times growing up. [3] He played football as a youth, but his mother did not like the sport and signed him up for judo instead. [2] He competed in judo for a time but eventually quit the sport; when he was age 17, he decided to return to the sport. [2] He became a black belt in 2014. [4] However, he suffered a broken arm early into his return to judo and then competed at a low level for the following three years. [2] He then left his club, in Brétigny-sur-Orge, and joined one in Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois, Essonne. [2]
Houinato attended school in Montpellier, studying journalism, and received a bachelor's degree in information and communication. [1] [2] He joined a club in Montpellier and rose through the ranks, competing in the 81 kg category. [2] He ultimately reached a ranking in the top 20 nationally. [5] After he graduated from school, Houinato also became a journalist for the broadcaster Radio France. [6]
In 2022, Houinato, with a goal of ultimately competing at the Summer Olympic Games, decided to compete in judo for his father's home country of Benin, as it gave him a better opportunity of making the Olympics. [7] However, due to the limited resources of Beninese athletic associations, Houinato mostly paid by himself to travel to tournaments, train, and get equipment. [7] He described in Le Monde the difficulty of working full-time as a journalist and competing in judo: "there are a lot of struggles, so I'm talking about a lot of struggles ... I've been walking on a tightrope for months." [7] Houinato placed fifth at the 2022 African Judo Championships and did the same again in 2023; he also won bronze medals at African Open events four times from 2023 to 2024, and competed at the 2024 World Judo Championships, where he lost in the round of 64. [8] [9] [10]
As the Olympics approached, Houinato created a weekly radio show, "La Prépa", where he described his attempts to qualify. [3] [11] He told France 24 of his experience with journalism and judo: "It's a taste [of] hell because I don't sleep. I get up early, I go to bed late. I go to muscular training in the morning before I come to the radio. I'm coming to the editorial conference, I'm doing my day, and, when the news allows, I go straight to the judo after." [3] Le Monde noted in April 2024:
For over a year, Houinato has been juggling work, training and tournaments without a coach to help him, dealing with injuries and struggling to find money – all on his own. He has a small sponsor and has launched an online fundraising campaign. All this exhausts him physically and mentally, sometimes to the point of bringing him to tears. A doctor told him he was suffering from "cognitive overload" and prescribed antidepressants. [7]
By April 2024, Houinato's global ranking was 70th. [7] To qualify, Houinato needed to rank in the top 12 in Africa. [3] He ultimately was successful in qualifying. [12]