More than a month after the French women’s selection, that of the men’s for the Worlds in Tashkent in Uzbekistan (October 6-13) was unveiled, this Wednesday at the end of the day, by the selection committee which met yesterday but announced it to those interested at the end of training, today in Montpellier where the Blues are training. This discrepancy is explained by a much more established hierarchy among the Blues of judo than among their male counterparts.
So much so that after having considered making its choice in the wake of the Budapest Grand Slam (July 8-10), the selection committee of the French Federation (FFJDA) waited for the Zagreb Grand Prix the following weekend. A big deal for Alpha Djalo, winner in -81 kg in Croatia, including a victory in the final against Saïd Mollaei, Olympic vice-champion last year with Mongolia (who fled Iran and is now fighting for Azerbaijan).
Piétri can still believe it
In Croatia, Loïc Piétri had the opportunity to recover after a badly paid outing in Budapest in terms of result, but the 2013 world champion -81 kg was eliminated in the second round in Zagreb. However, that does not necessarily mean that Piétri will not be at the Worlds. Indeed, the selection committee will complete the French delegation by mid-August, as explained by Frédérique Jossinet, Vice-President in charge of High Level and Performance and President of the Selection Committees:“We therefore leave the door open to those who will show us the attitudes and performances necessary to join this collective for the individual world championships but also for the mixed team championship. »
“This selection is not closed. We will finalize it in mid-August with the announcement of an individual holder, reservists and possibly selected for the teams. »
Frédérique Jossinet, Vice-President in charge of High Level and Performance and President of the Selection Committees
The Junior Worlds will take place in mid-August in Ecuador, it is up to some to shine like Romain Valadier-Picard, who is also seeking the world title next month before planning for the planetary deadline in seniors .
One more place to take individually
For the time being for Tashkent, there is no selected in -100 kg but that does not necessarily mean that this category will be represented at the Worlds. Indeed, each Federation has the possibility of retaining nine judokas for seven categories. She can “double up” in a category. What she did in -60 kg logically: Cédric Revol, the only male medalist at the European Championships at the end of April in Bulgaria (3rd) was selected with Romain Valadier-Picard, who although still a junior, showed his ability to shine in seniors, with his bronze medal at the Budapest Grand Slam.
They will also be two in -73 kg: Benjamin Axus, whom this selection will perhaps allow to finally let go, and Joan-Benjamin Gaba (21 years old), a promising youngster. Giving a chance to the rising generation is the creed of the FFJDA, two years before the Olympic Games in Paris.
Moreover, Teddy Riner, logically holder in +100 kg for Tashkent where he will seek an eleventh world title in heavyweight, is the only one of the selected of the moment to have lived the Tokyo Olympics. Axel Clerget was in Japan and could be in Uzbekistan, it remains to be seen whether it will be in -90 kg, his category (not classified in Tokyo in individual but crowned by mixed teams), or in -100 kg if he decides to climb for avoiding exhausting diets at his age (35). And especially if he will finally be rid of the injuries that have been bothering him for several months. For the time being in -90 kg, it is the young, also promising, Maxime-Gaël Ngayap-Hambou who has been selected. In -66 kg, Walide Khyar was also logically selected.
The Worlds in Uzbekistan will end on October 13 with the mixed team tournament where each round has three women’s fights and three men’s. Each nation can line up six fighters per gender on the sheet. Not retained for the time being for the individual event, Alexis Mathieu (-90 kg) and Joseph Terhec (+100 kg) are for the collective event. At the Tokyo Olympics, the French team was crowned Olympic champion in mixed teams, dominating Japan at home.
