At the Rio Olympics five years ago, France won 42 medals, a post-war record, including ten Olympic titles. Among these ten champions, some will try to keep their title and others will hope that their compatriots will succeed them. Among the nine disciplines which will aim for a double Rio / Tokyo (only the men’s lightweight two-pair is not qualified for the Olympics after his title in 2016), focus today on judo where Teddy Riner will try to increase his supremacy and where the young Romane Dicko will want to shine.
Lit is disciplines : judo +100 kg & +78 kg
Japanese martial art whose invention dates back to the end of the 19th centurye century (it began to be taught in schools in Japan in 1882), judo, or the way of flexibility in its literal translation, did not appear at the Olympic Games until 1964. So demonstration sport for the Olympics of Tokyo, it will definitely integrate the Olympic program eight years later, during the Olympic Games in Munich in 1972. There are then many weight categories for men, including that of heavy (today +100 kg), but it you have to wait a few years to see women on the tatami mats. Indeed, the first competitions of women’s judo took place in Barcelona in 1992, in particular for the heavy category (+78 kg).
The regulations applied to the Olympic Games are the same as those used in official competitions throughout the season, namely those decided by the IJF (International Judo Federation). Each fight lasts five minutes for men or four minutes for women, but can end prematurely if one of the fighters suffers a ippon. The latter occurs if a judoka sends his opponent to the ground with force, speed and control, causing an impact on the latter’s back. If a judoka causes a fall but some of these elements are missing, the referee may award a waza-ari (and formerly a yuko). All these situations can be transposed in the event of immobilization on the ground, different durations which may lead to ippon (20 sec) or to a waza-ari (from 10 to 19 sec).
France before 2016
Since the arrival of judo at the Olympic Games, France has continued to dominate the podiums. If the French judokas and judokates are still far from Japan, alone in the lead in the medal ranking (84 medals including 39 gold), the French are second (49 charms including 14 gold), ahead of South Korea, China or even Russia.
Among the heavyweights, France has built a very solid track record over the years, especially among the men. If no French judoka entered the podium during the first three editions, Angelo Parisi became the first Olympic champion in this weight category in Moscow in 1980. The Franco-Briton also obtained silver in 1984 before passing the torch to a French sports giant: David Douillet. In three Olympic Games (1992, 1996 and 2000), he first obtained bronze before becoming double Olympic champion. A path that Teddy Riner would also follow a few years later in the same category, the Guadeloupe also obtaining bronze (2008) before being twice on the top step of the podium.
Among women, the judokates have also accumulated a few medals, without winning any title. During the first two women’s competitions at the Olympic Games, France took the third step of the heavyweight podium thanks to Nathalie Lupino (1992) then Christine Cicot (1996). A promising start, but unfortunately heralding a slack period. Between 2000 and 2012, France did not win any medals in this category and had to settle for places of honor. Not enough to discourage the future French representative who arrived in Rio with a thirst for victory.
Succeeding oneself and Émilie Andéol
Teddy Riner and Émilie Andéol, gold medalists at the Olympic Games in Rio (Credit: Midi Libre)
Qualified for Rio thanks to their world ranking, Teddy Riner and Émilie Andéol arrived with ambition. For her first Games, the Bordelaise completed a list of achievements which had been growing steadily over the past few years. European champion in 2014, bronze at the world championships the same year then first at the 2015 European Games, Andéol was riding on good momentum despite an early elimination at the 2016 European Championships (beaten in repechage), a few months before the Olympics.
In Brazil, her tournament started slowly with two penalty victories, against the Mexican Vanessa Zambotti then against the Tunisian Nihel Cheikrouhou. In the last four, the Frenchwoman left her opponents no chance. After two fights won in shidos, it will strike down two tough opponents in quick succession. First, she got rid of the Chinese Yu Song, reigning world champion, by ippon. Then she ends up beating the Cuban Idalys Ortiz, Olympic champion in London, thanks to an immobilization in the golden score. In tears, Émilie Andéol won the most beautiful title of her career at the age of 29.
At the same time as Émilie Andéol advanced, Teddy Riner began the quest for his second Olympic title. Flag bearer of the French delegation and undefeated for several years on the tatami mats, the Guadeloupe was at the top of his game and no one seemed able to stop him. At the Games, logic will quickly be respected. Winner of the Algerian Mohammed Amine Tayeb by ippon in the second round then the Brazilian Rafael Silva by waza-ari in the quarterfinals, the defending champion went straight for a new Olympic medal. In the semifinals, he won again on waza-ari against the Israeli Or Sasson and qualified for a second consecutive Olympic final. Opposed to the Japanese Hisayoshi Harasawa, Riner will be hooked but will ultimately win penalties (two shido for Harasawa, only one for Riner). Four years after London, Riner still dominates the discipline.
Their chances in 2021
From Rio, water has flowed under the bridges for Teddy Riner. Often far from the tatami mats, the judoka has fought very little and even conceded two defeats in 2020, notably ending a series of 154 victories in official competitions. Nevertheless, the tall Riner (2m04) will always have the ambition to keep his Olympic title in Tokyo, in order to arrive in Paris in 2024 – for the clap of the end of his career – as the title holder. Despite his relative lack of competition (only eight fights since 2018, as much as in the whole of 2017), the French will be one of the favorites in Japan. On their land, the Japanese will be its most serious competitors like Kokoro Kageura, 3e world, reigning world champion and Riner’s winner at the Paris Grand Slam in 2020, mais aussi Hisayoshi Harasawa, 2e world and finalist in Rio five years ago. Russians Tamerlan Bashaev and Inal Tasoev could also join in the fight, with everyone wanting to bring down a Teddy Riner who already sees this deadline as ” the biggest challenge of his career ».
Among the women, Émilie Andéol, retired on August 12, 2018, will give way to the young Romane Dicko. At only 21 years old, the native of Clamart already has a more than interesting track record. French champion of +78 kg in 2016 when she was only a cadet, she will subsequently win her first title of European champion in 2018. Embarrassed by fairly significant injuries, she finally returned to form the year last by winning the prestigious Grand Slam of Paris then by once again becoming European champion. Winner of the Doha Masters then the Grand Slams of Tel-Aviv and Kazan in 2021, Romane Dicko will arrive in Tokyo with ambition for his first Games. Among her main contenders for the title and the medal, we can cite the world n ° 2 Sarah Asahina, reigning world champion, but also her Japanese compatriot Akira Sone or the Cuban veteran Idalys Ortiz, n ° 1 of the IJF ranking among the +78 kg. Not to discourage Romane Dicko, however, who will arrive in Japan with the aim of performing against the best judokats in the world.
To find out if France will achieve the Rio / Tokyo double, meet on July 30 to follow the quest for a third consecutive title in the +100 kg category for Teddy Riner and to see if Romane Dicko will succeed Émilie Andéol in the +78 kg category. .
Image credit on top: Getty Images
