Francois Coulombe Fortier: Going for Gold

Francois Coulombe-Fortier was crowned as Canada’s +80kg Olympian one month ago on January 14th after defeating challenger, Matt Ross, at Taekwondo Canada’s National event. In the first Olympic qualifier of the national tournament, Coulombe-Fortier secured an 8-2 victory over Ross, entertaining a packed Canada Place.

From the opening moments of his one-match showdown to secure a place on the Olympic team, Coulombe-Fortier was confident, enthusiastic and relaxed. Often wearing a big smile across his face, he was clearly in his element and nothing short of prepared to defend the Olympic spot he earned two months earlier in Mexico.

“I was feeling very good; I was confident and ready to take my spot for the Olympics. The training before the event was hard, physically and mentally. But I was prepared for that. All of the training that we did every day prepared me for that situation,” explains the first Taekwondo addition to the 2012 Canadian Olympic Team.

In the midst of his elation following the match, Coulombe-Fortier showed a great deal of emotion as he shed tears for his achievement, described as a dream come true for the Canadian Heavyweight.

“It’s really hard to describe how I felt right after the match. The feeling that I got it – the job of my life! That moment was full of emotion. I was proud of all the work I did and excited for the Olympics.”

Born and raised in Quebec City, Coulombe-Fortier has been participating in Taekwondo for twenty years. He has been coached under the leadership of Alain Bernier for the same duration at Club Taekwondo Ste-Foy.

With Coulombe-Fortier’s recent successes, it is clear the long-term coach-athlete partnership is working. The pairing’s 2011 successes include 2nd place at the Pan Am Olympic Qualifier, a top ten finish at Worlds and a gold medal at the U.S. Open.

“He’s the best coach I could have. He knows me all the way and makes me better every day. He and I are a very good team to win at all levels,” Coulombe-Fortier comments admirably of Coach Bernier.

Coach Bernier will lead Coulombe-Fortier’s training over the 163 days remaining to the start of the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Although Coulombe-Fortier admits his training won’t change very much over the coming months as he always trains for top international events, he welcomes the opportunity to train without the pressure of having to secure the Olympic Team spot.

“Now, I can train without pressure to win at Nationals, and appreciate all the preparation for the Olympics. I’ll watch a lot of fights of the others fighters and prepare myself to win over them.”

Coulombe-Fortier has three training partners, including fellow 2012 Olympic Team member, Sebastien Michaud, who help to raise his game and fight with him in the ring – his favourite part of training.

Marc-André Bergeron and Junior Cédric Nzouli join Michaud in helping to prepare the +80kg fighter for the biggest international test of his career. The US Open in February, Dutch Open in March and Austrian Open in June comprise Coulombe-Fortier’s pre-Olympic competition schedule.

In thinking of the Games themselves, Coulombe-Fortier is excitedly anticipating every aspect of the competition:

“I am looking forward to everything; the competition site and the mats; the Olympic village and the Opening/Closing ceremonies.”

And when he sites the biggest challenge of the world’s biggest sporting event, he speaks to the inevitable pressure and his personal goals at the Games.

“My biggest challenge will be to keep control of the pressure and try to reach my goal; also to beat my competitors.

We have 16 in my division at the Olympics. So every competitor is good and can beat me, but I think I can beat all of them. The Heavyweights from Korea, Cuba and Greece will be three of the strongest competitors,” assesses Coulombe-Fortier of his top competition.

When asked about what has prepared him most to reach this pinnacle in his Taekwondo career, he credits his love for the sport, the hard work he invests day in and day out, and of course without pause, Coach Bernier.

“The first thing is the passion. Then it’s the determination to reach my goal, the hard training every day and finally, a good coach who keeps me focused on my goal.”

And what is Coulombe-Fortier’s goal at the 2012 Olympic Games

With determination spilling from each word, he says, “1st place. I’m going for gold.”

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