2023-08-05 20:28:51
Successful return to competition for the six-time world judo champion. Despite a defeat in the golden score in the semi-final against Miku Takaichi, after a fight of more than nine minutes, Clarisse Agbégnénou managed to win a bronze medal (-63 kg) this Saturday at the Budapest Masters . Opposed to the Czech, Renata Zachova, the French did not tremble to afford this third place.
A bronze medal despite everything positive for Clarisse Agbégnénou who had obtained, three months ago in Doha in Qatar, her sixth title of world champion eleven months after the birth of her daughter Athéna in June 2022.
“I’m happy, I have a light, serene spirit, it feels good to finish with a victory, I’m still proud of what I’ve done,” smiled Clarisse Agbégnénou. Victorious in an almost unreal way of the World Cup for her return to the highest level after her maternity leave, this Masters has shown that Agbégnénou “is human, even if she is extraordinary”, according to her coach Ludovic Delacotte. “If she was at 70% at the Worlds, there she was at 80%”, continues the coach, “she could not observe a period of regeneration between the two planetary events”.
But the coach appreciated a day “rich in lessons”, especially after the semi-final lost against the Japanese Miku Takaichi, whom she could find on the road to the Olympic title. Just like Kosovare Laura Fazliu, in gold on Saturday.
In half, against the double vice-world champion Takaichi (29 years old), Agbégnénou was mute. The Japanese had not beaten the native of Rennes since 2017. And since 2012, this is only the second time that the Frenchwoman has lost against her in eleven confrontations. “We’ve known each other for a very long time, it’s a game of chess every time between her and me”, notes the Frenchwoman, “now she has taken the lead but she won’t have it for very long”.
“I feel in better shape than in the World”
In extra time, the Japanese first immobilized her on the ground, without result. But the second, on a new painful armbar, after nine minutes of fierce fighting (5 of Golden score), Agbégnénou gave in.
Consoled by the bronze, she is above all “happy” to be able to “take a rest with the family” now. To the delight of her daughter Athena, whom she is still breastfeeding, and who wandered proudly on the training tatami with her mother’s bronze medal around her neck.
“I leave with peace of mind, but with things to work on,” she concludes. “You have to regain strength, endurance, technicality, find tactical-technical means, but it’s coming back, I feel in better shape than at the World Cup, even if I had won”.
Twenty-third in the world before this Masters, the 30-year-old Francilienne will need after the holidays to score points in the Olympic ranking, important before the Games: the eight best in each category will be seeded there and will open up the table a little. to the title.
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