Six on the first day, two on the second and, finally, one on the last. The French judo team’s medal haul was reduced at the European Championships in Montpellier. Sunday, November 5, at the Sud de France Arena, the day was disappointing, marked in particular by the early eliminations of Aurélien Diesse (− 100 kg), Axel Clerget (− 90 kg) and Madeleine Malonga (− 78 kg). Then salvation came from Romane Dicko, who became, at the age of 24, a four-time continental champion. “It’s great to win in France,” she reacted. I am really happy. I thank the federation, my club [Paris Saint-Germain], all my loved ones who came en masse and the Montpellier public, who were incredible. »
The Sunday public can thank the sparkling 78 kg fighter, who is starting to build up an impressive track record. Olympic bronze medalist in Tokyo in 2021 and world champion in 2022, the world number 2 wanted to forget her misstep at the Doha Worlds in May. Eliminated in her first fight in Qatar, the Frenchwoman put the pressure on herself, watching her compatriot Julia Tolofua win silver.
The race for Olympic selection suddenly looked closer than expected between the two friends. “Heavyweights are a category that performs well in France. There was Emilie [Andéol] in 2016, me in 2021 and Julia was still around, she recalled two weeks before the European Championships. It was to be expected that there would be competition. So much the better, I don’t have the right to relax. » This summer, Romane Dicko had already reassured herself a little by winning the Budapest Masters.
The only French representative in these European Championships in 78 kg, because of Tolofua’s shoulder injury, she crushed the competition. She qualified for the final by dismissing her opponents in an identical and expeditious manner: an immobilization on the ground. The Austrian Maria Hoellwart and the Dutch Karen Stevenson and Marit Kamps paid the price.
In the fight for gold, the Israeli Raz Hershko, world number 1 and world bronze medalist in Qatar, did not exist against the Frenchwoman – swept away in a few seconds – in a repeat of the last European final. “I had prepared my tactical plan because she is a judoka that I know well,” she explained. “I managed to put in place what I wanted. » A disappointing opposition for Romane Dicko, who will have a lot to do at the Paris Games next year, facing Asian judokas like the Chinese Shiyan Xu, the South Korean Hayun Kim or the Japanese Akira Sone.
Alexis Mathieu and Audrey Tcheuméo beaten in repechage
A precocious talent, an overpowering judoka and a well-made head – she studies mathematics and dreams of becoming an aeronautics engineer – Romane Dicko asserts herself as one of the strong personalities of this French team. Charismatic, at ease in front of the media, she seems ideally suited to take over from the sacred monsters of the discipline Clarisse Agbegnenou (− 63 kg) and Teddy Riner (100 kg), who should compete in their last Games in 2024. Interviewed after her European title on what we could wish for her for the future, the champion simply replied, with a smile: “The Olympic selection. »
On Sunday, two other Tricolores lost in the quarter-finals, then during their repechage fight. In − 78 kg, Audrey Tcheuméo, 33, failed in her quest for a seventh European medal, beaten by Israeli world champion Lanir Inbar.
Deserving after two victories and a defeat at the last minute against the Georgian Olympic champion Lasha Bekauri, Alexis Mathieu (− 90 kg) did not come far from claiming his first medal at a major championship. A final defeat, in repechage, against Russian fighter under neutral banner Mansur Lorsanov, decided otherwise. But the Frenchman still scored points in the race for the Olympic quota among the Blues.
The French delegation therefore ends these European Championships with five titles – those of Shirine Boukli (− 48 kg), Amandine Buchard (− 52 kg), Luka Mkheidze (− 60 kg), Marie-Eve Gahié (− 70 kg) and Romane Dicko – and four bronze medals – Walide Khyar (− 66 kg), Sarah Léonie Cysique (− 57 kg) and Alpha Djalo (− 81 kg). She achieved a better performance than in the last three editions of the competition, and one more medal than in 2020 in Prague, just a few months before the Tokyo Games, which had smiled on her.
The superstitious, who are legion in high-level sport, can see this as a sign. Not to mention that the bosses of French judo, Clarisse Agbegnenou, despite his failure on Saturday, and Teddy Riner, who skipped the continental meeting, are betting everything on Paris 2024.