Record, leaders at the rendezvous and great promises: blue judo shone brightly in Tokyo

It was the icing on an already delicious cake, the final bouquet of a very successful fireworks display. An organ point in the form of an exclamation mark. Saturday, on the carpet of Nippon Budokan, France won the mixed team event at the expense of Japan, dominated in his kingdom. This historic final (first appearance on the Olympic program) will be remembered. But, more generally, it is the assessment of the tricolor judokas, on the original grounds of their discipline that will have to be remembered.

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Agbegnenou assumed, Riner finished in style

From a purely accounting point of view, it’s simple: with eight medals collected in one week, the French delegation beats its record for podiums in one edition of the Olympics (seven, in Barcelona and London). The holding of this new team tournament has helped a lot, it is true, and invites nuance. However, this gold medal would only have been a consolation prize if the individual events had turned to rout, as in Athens (only one medal, silver). And the least we can say is that it was not.

First of all because the leaders of the France group have responded. Starting with Clarisse Agbegnenou (-63kg), who was disturbed neither by her status as a big favorite, nor by her role as standard bearer and conquered the coveted title as patron. For Teddy Riner (+ 100kg), the situation is certainly different. The Guadeloupean had logically come for gold, he leaves with bronze. But it is not nothing, in view of its thwarted preparation in particular. And the formidable collective victory, during which he behaved like a prisoner, inevitably weighs in the balance.

Promising start and talent pool

Of course, some will dwell on the fact that only two of these eight medals are of the most precious metal. By concealing an essential data, in this case that ten of the fourteen Blues engaged were playing their first Games there. Amandine Buchard (-52kg), Sarah-Léonie Cysique (-57kg) and Madeleine Malonga (-78kg), silver, therefore signed a remarkable Olympic debut. They probably hoped for better, but the future is theirs. As, moreover, to Luka Mkheidze (-60kg) and Romane Dicko (+ 78kg), in bronze.

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There is no guarantee, however, that these fighters will still be there within three years, in the Arena Champ de Mars, when the Paris 2024 judo events are launched. Because what makes the strength of the France team , it is the depth of its pool of talents, on which the staff happily draws to shape the great champions of tomorrow. In certain categories, the competition is such that it prohibits any relaxation. It pushes the best to sublimate themselves, the youngest to surpass themselves. And she pulls everyone up.

Prepare for Paris with ambition

A caveat must however be added, insofar as this observation prevails especially for the ladies. They have indeed gleaned five of the seven individual medals in Tokyo. For men, the current period is more complicated, especially in the very high density categories on the world circuit (-66kg, -73kg, -81kg). Apart from Mkheidze and Riner, all were eliminated before the draft. There was not even any qualified representative for these Olympics in -81kg, which symbolizes the rare shortcomings of the moment.

Host country, France will, whatever happens, one representative per category in 2024. Without a doubt, very high ambitions. The objective that Larbi Benboudaoud (director of high performance) will set for his troop will certainly be very high. The performances in Tokyo proved that the path taken was the right one. It remains now to insist, to climb even higher.