Prime black belt competitor Elisabeth Clay earned double gold on the 2024 IBJJF No-Gi Pans simply two months after giving delivery to her first youngster.
Mother energy is an actual factor.
The 2024 IBJJF No-Gi Pans happened over the weekend in Fort Price, Texas, and arguably the occasion’s most notable efficiency got here from newly minted mom Elisabeth Clay.
On August 19, Clay and her husband, fellow black belt competitor Danilo Moreira, welcomed their first youngster, Danilo Jr., into the world. In keeping with an Instagram post from Clay, she endured a 12-hour labor earlier than giving delivery to the wholesome new boy.
At simply 24 years previous, Clay is already a multiple-time no-gi world champion and is widely known as one of many prime pound-for-pound no-gi grapplers on the planet. With that in thoughts, many followers anticipated her to return to competitors following her being pregnant, however few possible predicted her to return so shortly – a lot much less discover quick success at an IBJJF main.
The Ares BJJ consultant employed her trademark leg lock sport to rack up 4 submissions in 5 matches, successful gold in each the heavyweight and absolute divisions.
Within the heavyweight division, she scored a lightning-fast submission over Graciele Carvalho within the opening spherical earlier than incomes a factors victory over Maria Ruffatto within the division’s remaining. Clay discovered comparable success within the absolute division, scoring submission wins over Mayara Ribeiro, 2023 No-Gi Pans champion Deise Leonanjo, and Ruffatto within the remaining.
Clay’s double-gold efficiency is spectacular by itself, however the truth that it got here lower than three months after giving delivery makes the accomplishment much more extraordinary. Earlier than her go away of absence from competitors as a result of being pregnant, she had racked up notable victories over the likes of Brianna Ste-Marie, Ffion Davies, and Amy Campo. Contemplating her success on the No-Gi Pans, Clay appears to be already in prime type and able to compete alongside the world’s finest grapplers.
Keep tuned to GrapplingInsider.com for extra information and updates from the 2024 IBJJF No-Gi Pans.