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Riner rediscovers bronze, Dicko takes a date, Djokovic falls

Tokyo, Japan | AFP | Friday 07/30/2021 – Two bronze medals to soften a dark day: Teddy Riner managed to save an Olympic medal whose color, for Romane Dicko – only 21 years old – has the flavor of a promise, during a day when another big favorite, Novak Djokovic, went to the mat on Friday at the Tokyo Olympics.

“The truth, she is kiffante. It is the medal of courage and pride,” Riner told reporters. “My children wanted a medal, for the color they will see nothing but fire,” he also smiled.

There was no better place to write history than Nippon Budokan, the temple of Japanese judo.

But in the quarter-finals, in a fight he seemed to master against world No.1 Russian Tamerlan Bashaev, Riner was countered in overtime and beaten on waza-ari.

In history, the Japanese Tadahiro Nomura remains the only one to have become a triple Olympic champion, men and women alike. It was in the under 60 kg category, in 2000, 2004 and 2008.

Will Riner still be there in Paris in 2024? The giant left the door open. But in the years to come, French judo will certainly be able to count on Romane Dicko, in the + 78 kg category. At 21, the two-time European champion won her first Olympic medal, bronze. And also gave “appointment in three years”!

Djokovic out

Riner isn’t the only big name in the sport to hit the mat on Friday.

To everyone’s surprise, Novak Djokovic suffered the law of Alexander Zverev, after having roughed up the German in the first set.

His 1-6, 6-3, 6-1 defeat deprives him of the Golden Slam (the Grand Slam over a calendar season accompanied by a victory at the Olympics), which only Steffi Graf has succeeded in the history of tennis, men and women. ladies confused.

He still has to recharge his batteries to conquer the US Open (August 30 – September 12), where a coronation this time would offer him the Grand Slam, that is to say victory in the four tournaments of the Grand Slam in the same year, which has not been done since Rod Laver in 1969.

In the meantime, Djokovic is expected again on the court on Friday, from 8:00 p.m. local time, to play there in the semi-final of the mixed doubles with his compatriot Nina Stojanovic.

Sad blue day

The day was boring for the French clan, in many sports.

The first blow came with the elimination of the tricolor swordsmen, Olympic champion in Rio in 2016, from the quarterfinals of the tournament, by Japan (45-44). They eventually finished fifth.

Shortly after, the BMX final, which promised a lot with three French out of the eight contenders, gave birth to a mouse: Joris Daudet, still fighting for bronze in the last corner, fell, Sylvain André finished fourth and Romain Mahieu sixth.

After the thunderclap Riner, hopes turned to Boris Neveu in canoe-kayak slalom. Alas, he finally took seventh place, admitting “a big disappointment”.

Fortunately, Riner and Dicko were able to re-engage.

Eddy in the basin

The morning at the pool was marked by a succession of titles, notably those of Australian Emma Mckeon in the 100 m freestyle and South African Tatjana Schoenmaker in the 200 m breaststroke (matched with a world record 2: 18.95). But also by a nice controversy.

After the victory of the Russian Evgeny Rylov in the 200 m backstroke, his American runner-up Ryan Murphy let go.

“It’s a huge mental burden for me to swim all year round in a race that is probably not clean, but that’s how it is,” said Murphy, 26, hinting that Russia is officially banned from the Olympics after a vast doping scandal, only Russian athletes who have shown their feet – like Rylov – can play in Tokyo under a neutral banner.

To which Russia did not fail to respond: “We will not console you. Forgive those who are weaker. God is their judge and for us – a help,” tweeted the Russian International Olympic Committee.

On track

Fortunately, athletics is coming!

Olympic sport N.1 kicked off on Friday at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo and is set to take over the Games from this weekend, even if Usain Bolt and his charisma will be sorely missed.

In the morning, the fastest women in the world made their ranges during the series, with impressive times for the Ivorian Marie-José Talou (10.78, African record), and the Jamaicans Elaine Thompson (10.82) and Shelly- Ann Fraser-Price (10.84).

And in the evening, the men’s 10,000m final – the only one on the program for this first day and the first of 48 scheduled until August 8 – led to the coronation of Ethiopian Selemon Barega.

Boss of the world long distance since 2019, the Ugandan Joshua Cheptegei, world champion and world record holder (26 min 11 sec 00), silver medalist, will therefore not sign in Japan an Olympic double 5000 m / 10,000 m, in the image of the last great figures of long distances, Kenenisa Bekele (2008) and Mo Farah (2012, 2016).

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