2023-05-13 19:19:57
Published on : Modified :
Frenchman Teddy Riner won his eleventh world title on Saturday at the World Judo Championships in Doha. He had not participated in this meeting since his tenth coronation in 2017.
It’s a new gold medal to an already well-stocked list. Judoka Teddy Riner was crowned world champion over 100 kg on Saturday May 13 in Doha, winning an eleventh world title at the age of 34 just over a year from the Paris Olympics.
“I really hope it will pay off at Paris-2024 but it can only pay off when you have days like that,” reacted the Frenchman. “It’s been a long time since I heard a Marseillaise on a world podium, it feels good.”
Six years after his last appearance on the planetary scene, Teddy Riner came to Qatar with the desire to test himself in contact with the best judokas. After six fights and more than 28 cumulative minutes spent on the tatami, he was served.
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Eterneeeel!!! Teddy Riner is crowned world champion for the 1⃣1⃣th time in his career and goes a little further into history! ????????
The king is back, Ted’ is back! ????????#JudoWorlds #GoLesBleus #FierdEtreJudoka pic.twitter.com/B8Yv6j3PyZ
— France Judo (@francejudo) May 13, 2023
The Guadeloupean beat the Russian Inal Tasoev in the final, who was competing under a neutral flag, winning by waza-ari during extra time. With this title, he brings to France a second title in this edition of the worlds after that of Clarisse Agbégnénou in less than 63 kg, and in total a seventh medal.
“This waza-ari at the end, it’s fun,” blew Teddy Riner, who was, according to his trainer, only 60% of his abilities.
To get out of it, the French judoka mainly appealed to his psychological resources, he revealed. “I think it’s one of the biggest days of my entire career. No rhythm all day, so what do we use? The mind, that’s all that’s left.”
“The body is on red alert. So when judo, the sensations are not there, you have to appeal to the mind. The brain guides the rest.”
The Frenchman had however been impressive in the semi-finals by dispatching in less than thirty seconds the Tajik Temur Rakhimov, world number one in the category.
In the previous round, he emerged victorious in the long-awaited fight against the Japanese Tatsuru Saito, 1.91 m for 165 kilos and vice-world champion. If he failed to score, he ended up cracking the new Japanese sensation on penalties after 3 min 40 of overtime.
Package in 2022
The Guadeloupean had not participated in the world judo meeting since his tenth coronation in 2017. He had to give up the 2022 edition due to a nasty ankle injury suffered in the summer and returned to business in February by winning the Grand Slam de Paris.
Not being seeded, he had to go through a first round against the Romanian Vladut Simionescu, 25e world.
He then dominated the Polish Kacper Szczurowski, sanctioned with three penalties before winning, again on penalties, against the Mongolian Tsetsentsengel Odkhuu, ranked 4e world rank in the over 100 kg category and winner of the Tel Aviv Grand Slam in February.
“I’m also happy to see that my body is responding well, I asked him to hold on and he did,” he said.
He will aim for a third individual title in Paris. “There, it’s good, we have achieved a big stage. Now a little rest and we will go back to work very quickly. It will happen quickly but we still have a little time, “he estimated.
“Teddy is world champion for the eleventh time but it does not change our program. He would have lost, it did not change anything”, added his trainer Franck Chambily. “The goal is the Games.”
With AFP
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