2024-04-06 15:36:47
After the announcement on Friday of the selection of Madeleine Malonga in the -78 kg category, the French judo team is now complete with 14 judokas to represent it at the Olympic Games this summer in Paris. It will count in its ranks two world stars of this discipline who have already won Olympic titles: Clarisse Agbégnénou and Teddy Riner.
Published on: 04/06/2024 – 5:36 p.m. Modified on: 04/06/2024 – 5:39 p.m.
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Madeleine Malonga was chosen, Friday April 5, by the French Judo Federation, subject to approval by the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF), to complete the French team which will participate in the Paris Olympic Games.
Malonga, 30, was competing with Audrey Tcheuméo in the -78 kg category, the only one still unfilled while the federation has already selected 13 judokas for the Olympics. Here is the list of the 14 selected athletes.
Read alsoThe gargantuan ambitions of French judo for the Paris Olympics
Women’s team
Shirine Boukli (- 48 kg)
Boukli, 25, is selected for her second Olympic Games at the expense of Blandine Pont, revelation of the year 2023. Eliminated as soon as she entered the competition in Tokyo, Boukli relaunched with a world medal, in silver, in 2023, and a third European title in November. She kicked off 2024 perfectly by winning the Paris Grand Slam in February.
Amandine Buchard (- 52 kg)
Reigning Olympic vice-champion, Buchard won her second European title in 2023, a few months after a gold medal at the Masters and a bronze at the Worlds. The 28-year-old judoka skipped the Paris tournament to avoid “completely destroying herself” before the Games. She made a winning return at the Tashkent Grand Slam in early March.
Judoka Amandine Buchard during the medal ceremony, July 25, 2021, in Tokyo. AFP – JACK GUEZ
Sarah-Léonie Cysique (- 57 kg)
Coming very close to gold in Tokyo three years ago and often a medalist in major events, Cysique, 25, finally won gold in an international competition in 2023, at the Grand Slam in Astana. This year, she was the bronze medalist in Paris.
Clarisse Agbégnénou (- 63 kg)
Double titled in Japan, Agbégnénou will play her third Olympic Games at the age of 31. Since her return from maternity leave, the one who also has a silver medal at the Rio Games has offered herself a sixth world title and a bronze medal at the Masters. After a disappointing 7th place at the European Championships, she bounced back with gold in Paris then Tashkent in the Grand Slam.
Returning from the Tokyo Olympics, Clarisse Agbégnénou proudly displays her second Olympic gold medal during a ceremony organized in Paris on August 2, 2021 AFP – STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN
Marie-Ève Gahié (- 70 kg)
Not selected for the last Games, Gahié had thought of stopping judo. But it was the 27-year-old double reigning European champion who was preferred to Margaux Pinot. The 2019 world champion started 2024 with silver in Paris and Tashkent.
Madeleine Malonga (-78 kg)
Last selected, Malonga (30 years old) was in competition with Audrey Tcheuméo (33 years old), double Olympic medalist. The Tokyo Olympic vice-champion and 2019 world champion made the difference in 2024 with bronze at the Grand Slam in Paris then gold in Antalya.
Romane Dicko (+ 78 kg)
Revealed by her bronze medal in Tokyo, Dicko confirmed it by winning the 2022 Worlds. But an accident at the 2023 Worlds and the rise of Julia Tolofua had made her selection more uncertain. Victorious this year at the Grand Slams in Paris and Baku, the 24-year-old judoka confirmed her status as favorite for the Olympics.
Men’s team
Luka Mkheidze (- 60 kg)
Surprise bronze medalist in Tokyo, Luka Mkheidze was then away from the tatamis for several months due to injury. Back at the start of 2023, he won the Grand Slams in Tel Aviv and Antalya before being crowned European champion. The 28-year-old judoka continued in 2024 with the Paris tournament.
Luka Mkheidze reacts after his victory giving him the bronze medal, July 24, 2021 in Tokyo. © Sergio Perez, Reuters
Walid Khyar (- 66 kg)
Selected for the 2016 Olympics in – 60 kg, Khyar (28 years old) was then overtaken by Mkheidze. Moving up to the higher category, in 2023 he won a world bronze medal and another European one. He had the same result at the 2024 Antalya Grand Slam.
Joan Benjamin Gaba (- 73kg)
First Games for Gaba: in a category without a natural leader, the 23-year-old judoka made the difference by winning the French Championship in November against Guillaume Chaine, 37, in the final.
Alpha Djalo (- 81 kg)
After a rich year 2023, bronze medalist at the Grand Slams in Paris and Antalya then especially at the European Championships, Djalo (27) is in full doubt after poor results in 2024.
Maxime-Gaël Ngayap Hambou (- 90kg)
In another undecided category, Ngayap Hambou did well thanks to a bronze medal at the Grand Slam in Paris. The one who will be the youngest of the Blues this summer narrowly failed to do it again in Antalya at the end of March.
Maxime-Gael Ngayap Hambou celebrates his bronze medal in – 90 kg at the Paris Grand Slam Emmanuel Dunand, AFP
Aurélien Diesse (- 100kg)
At 26, the judoka from Bondy will also participate in his first Games. In 2023, he won his first podium at Grand Slam level, in bronze in Baku.
Teddy Riner (+100 kg)
The colossus, who celebrates his 35th birthday on Sunday April 7, will compete in his fifth Games. Teddy Riner will aim for a third individual gold medal after 2012 and 2016 – a feat only achieved by Tadahiro Nomura (- 60 kg). Riner, who finished in bronze in 2008 and 2020, became world champion in 2023 for the eleventh time. He has not lost since the quarter-final of the Olympics in 2021 and won the Grand Slams in Paris and Antalya in 2024.
With AFP
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