Valentin Houinato

Valentin Houinato (born 15 October 1996) is a judoka and journalist. Born in France, he qualified to represent Benin at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Biography Houinato was born on 15 October 1996 in Melun, France. He has Beninese ancestry through his father, and Houinato visited the country several times growing up. However, he suffered a broken arm early into his return to judo and then competed at a low level for the following three years. After he graduated from school, Houinato also became a journalist for the broadcaster Radio France.

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. However, due to the limited resources of Beninese athletic associations, Houinato mostly paid by himself to travel to tournaments, train, and get equipment.

As the Olympics approached, Houinato created a weekly radio show, "La Prépa", where he described his attempts to qualify. 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."