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| Human Interest | |
|---|---|
Sport Specific Information | |
| Name of coach | Yurik Sarkisyan [personal], from 2010 |
Further Personal Information | |
| Occupation | Athlete, Coach |
General Interest | |
| Other information | MISSED GOLD MEDAL He was denied a gold medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, after the judges failed to notice that winner Steven Kari's elbow had touched his knee during his winning lift. The decision was described by International Weightlifting Federation [IWF] vice president Sam Coffa as "atrocious" and led to the introduction of video technology in the sport. "My coach said to me, 'Relax Simplice, everyone else out there said you won gold. Keep that in your mind. You were the winner'. I feel like a winner. He [Kari] knows I feel like the winner," Ribouem said at the time. (insidethegames.biz, 17 Nov 2014; smh.com.au, 30 Jul 2014) FROM CAMEROON TO AUSTRALIA He chose to remain in Australia after representing Cameroon at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Victoria. However, his first few days were tough as he had to sleep rough in a park before the Red Cross helped him. "I was scared. A security guard let me use his phone to call home because he was happy to meet an athlete. So I made the call and my father told me, 'If this country is safe for you, then you will find a way. Follow your heart, don't listen to what everyone else says and follow your heart'." (sbs.com.au, 10 Feb 2016; thesaturdaypaper.com.au, 10 Oct 2015; heraldsun.com.au, 05 Jan 2012) FAMILY CONCERN He has unsuccessfully applied for a visa so his mother can come and visit him and his family in Australia on a number of occasions since 2013. She lives in Cameroon, and Ribouem has become more concerned for her well-being since his father passed away from a heart attack in 2015. "I have rented her a place very far away from the city to keep her safe. I pay her money every month to stay there quietly." (sbs.com.au, 10 Feb 2016; smh.com.au, 10 Oct 2010) |
Further Personal Information | |
| Residence | Melbourne, VIC, AUS |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Club / Team | Hawthorn Weightlifting Club: Melbourne, VIC, AUS |
General Interest | |
| Injuries | In early 2015 he contracted malaria following a trip home to Cameroon. (rio2016.olympics.com.au, 12 Feb 2016) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Why this sport? | He tried a number of sports when he was younger, including boxing. However, as his mother did not like the violence involved in the sport, his father suggested he should take up weightlifting instead. |
General Interest | |
| Most influential person in career | His father. (rio2016.olympics.com.au, 2016) |
| Hero / Idol | Greek weightlifter Pyrros Dimas. (vis.org.au, 2012) |
| Ambitions | To compete at the Olympic Games. (Australian Weightlifting Federation YouTube Channel, 12 Dec 2015) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| When and where did you begin this sport? | He took up the sport at age 12 in Cameroon. |
Further Personal Information | |
| Languages | English, French |
General Interest | |
| Sporting philosophy / motto | "You have to be strong mentally and have a quiet mind. If you are focused, it can make all the difference." (heraldsun.com.au, 05 Jan 2012) |
Further Personal Information | |
| Family | Wife Roni, son Samuel, son Nathan |