The good thing about French women’s judo is that one boss can hide another. When the train Clarisse Agbegnenou (- 63 kg) derails, it is a luxury locomotive, Marie-Eve Gahié (- 70 kg), who puts the French team back on track. Her track record is currently shorter than that of her elder sister, but the 26-year-old Parisian is a fighter in a hurry.
2019 world champion, Marie-Eve Gahié is also, since Saturday November 4, double European champion. On a day when the audience at the Arena Sud de France in Montpellier was waiting to thrill to the performances of Clarisse Agbegnenou, she took over perfectly with a masterfully conducted competition. Impressive even to Christophe Massina, the manager of the French women’s teams: “She was unstoppable today. She pulverized everyone. Something happened to his face. She knows why she is there and nothing can stop her from moving forward. »
Marie-Eve Gahié took forty seconds to dismiss the Swiss Gioia Vetterli in the second round. Then, the blue tornado performed a real demonstration of judo by dropping the Slovenian Anka Pogacnik like a straw, in the quarters. Quickly led in the semi-finals by the Greek Elisavet Teltsidou, she overturned the fight with a magnificent ippon, which made the public forget the disappointment of the elimination of Clarisse Agbegnenou.
In the final, she got rid of the Russian judoka, under a neutral banner, Madina Taimazova, number 20 in the world rankings and who defeated Frenchwoman Margaux Pinot a little earlier in the tournament. “I’m so happy with my crazy day. I was a little scared when I fell against the Greek [in the semi-final]. I only had victory in mind and I’m happy to have it,” reacted Marie-Eve Gahié.
Race for Olympic selection
Beyond a second European coronation, the judoka also gave herself an advantage on Saturday – perhaps decisive – in the race for selection for the Paris Games. If Clarisse Agbegnenou faces no competition in her weight category, this is not the case in the -70 kg category, where the French contenders are putting up a fierce fight. “By being European champion, she got ahead. We’ll see later,” Christophe Massina dodged. “I don’t know if it’s a big step [towards the 2024 Olympics], I hope so. We must continue,” said the person concerned.
In Montpellier, Marie-Eve Gahié and Margaux Pinot experienced a new episode of the internal sporting rivalry dictated by the Olympic meeting. The first is waiting more than ever for her first chance in the world high mass. The second, double European champion in 2019 and 2020, had missed hers, eliminated in her first fight in 2021 in Tokyo, and hopes for a brilliant revenge in 2024.
Throughout the day, the young women had to understand this particular fact. “For years I have been in close competition. It no longer bothers me to be entered in the same competition as Marie-Eve,” explained Margaux Pinot, met two weeks before the European Championships. “We have a good relationship with Margaux, that’s enough. I don’t see why we hate each other in the end. We want the same thing and one of us will get it. I’m going to do everything to make it me,” Gahié said.
According to Bastien Puget, deputy national technical director of the French Judo Federation, the athletes are not disturbed by this race for the Olympic ticket: “They are used to this kind of situation. Emulation can be positive and cause certain tensions. We are here to regulate all that and relieve the pressure. » Christophe Massina, for his part, wanted to set things straight before the visit to Montpellier: “We are not going there to be selected, but to bring home a title. »
With the exception, for the moment, of Clarisse Agbegnenou and Margaux Pinot, the French women were all invited to the podium. After the gold of Shirine Boukli (- 48 kg) and Amandine Buchard (- 52 kg) and the bronze medal for the courage of Sarah Léonie Cysique (- 57 kg), reduced by an injury, yesterday, Marie-Eve Gahié joined in the party. Enough to further illustrate their immense domination over European judo: they gleaned three of the five titles at stake during these first two days of competition. And it’s not over: on Sunday, Audrey Tcheuméo and Madeleine Malonga (- 78 kg) and Romane Dicko (78 kg) all three have ambitions to shine in the most beautiful metal.
Note also that a second charm – the eighth since the start of the tournament – ??was added to the tricolor bag on Saturday, thanks to Alpha Djalo, in -81 kg. Falling on a bone in the semi-final against the double Georgian world champion, Tato Grigalashvili, the 27-year-old Frenchman was able to pull himself together. In the fight for bronze, he took on the Belgian Matthias Casse, current world number 1, and was invited, for the first time in his career, to the podium of a major championship.
