Getting back to winning ways and overcoming the burden of victory. Interview with Assunta Scutto

The pitfall into which athletes most often slip and end up on the mat is the constant pursuit of results and the need to perform. Judo competitor Assunta Scutto, partly due to physical problems and partly due to the pressure, risked being knocked out. Returning to competition in August following an operation, the Italian from Scampia has now secured her place on the world championship podium for the fifth time in a row (in the 48 kg category), at just 24 years of age, and won a silver medal in Baku – a result born of faith and maturity.

Year after year, she continues to prove herself; she rises to the challenge of the competitions, even if she does feel the pressure at times – suddenly an athlete is afraid of losing what they feel they deserve. Every World Championship is a learning experience, a stepping stone towards the Olympics, and she is delighted to consistently be amongst the best in the world.

She underwent elbow surgery in April; the injury had been affecting her since the start of the year and had left her demoralised. After the 2025 World Championships, she felt the weight of victory: she lost four matches in the first round, compounded by the pain that robbed her of the enjoyment of training. She decided to have the operation because her goal is the Games. The hiatus proved necessary: time away from the tatami and the spotlight allowed her to recall her initial motivations and reorganize her thoughts. Upon returning to Lima, she secured victory and reported feeling like the young Susy of old, enjoying the sport for its own sake rather than solely to prove herself. Subsequently, a shoulder injury limited her training. “I’ve always had faith; I knew that God would look after me,” she noted. The World Championship silver medal, she added, means even more to her because she was not at 100 per cent.

I thought that being world champion wouldn’t change anything; perhaps I didn’t want to accept it. I had all eyes on me during training and I noticed I was treated differently in competition. I also started to be harder on myself, not allowing myself to make a single mistake. I let myself be influenced, but then I realised that I do this for myself – a result doesn’t define me.

It is fate, but one chosen by God. In Baku, I immediately came up against the world number one, the Chinese player Xinran Hui, to whom I’ve always lost, even when I was in top form. I faced her in the first round: it was no coincidence; it was a chance for redemption. God’s plans are always perfect, so that we can see when it is He who is at work.

I feel much more at ease than I did in Paris. Back then, two years earlier, it was constantly on my mind; now I know that on the day I just need to turn up as usual, without doing anything extra. I want to enjoy the experience – I didn’t do that back then. I’m a source of motivation.

Absolutely, just like Pino Maddaloni, who started out at the same gym as me. I’ve always thought that if he could do it, so could I: he comes from a poor neighbourhood, from a family that wasn’t well-off, with a coach like mine and without any special physical gifts. My dreams are achievable, just like the dream of becoming an Olympic champion whilst coming from Scampia. That is why, when I enjoy my achievements, it means going home and celebrating with my family; it matters to see them happy and for the people who follow me to find inspiration in me.

I am always on a diet, yet I generally eat whatever my family prepares. For me, even tidying the house or changing the car is akin to shopping for some people – we simply do not have the time.