France’s Clarisse Agbegnenou is one of the greatest champions in judo history and she proved it again when she beat the reigning Olympic champion in the women’s -63kg category at Tokyo 2020. It was arguably her sweetest victory.
In a repeat of the Rio 2016 final, the five-time world champion and three-time European champion took sweet revenge on Slovenian champion Tina Trstenjak, who beat her five years earlier for silver.
The 28-year-old came out fighting from the start and didn’t let up until the -63kg judo crown was hers at the Nippon Budokan in Japan’s capital on July 27.
But Trstenjak did not give up without a fight. The fight went to a gold score and Agbegnenou needed a waza-ari to take down the 30-year-old fighter, who is also a current European champion.
The French judoka screamed and cried with joy at the end of the match and even lifted her opponent into the air as her monumental achievement sank: she had now won every major title in her class.
In the bronze medal matches, 26-year-old Italian Maria Centracchio beat Dutch Juul Franssen. It was a tough battle that went on to score gold before Centracchio dominated the 31-year-old with an ippon.
Second bronze was awarded to Canada’s 2020 Pan American champion Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard, 27, who beat silver medalist at those Games, 27-year-old Anriquelis Barrios of Venezuela. It was another gold score, but this time it ended in a waza-ari.
Speaking at a press conference later, Agbegnenou said of his opponent Trestenjak: “We will have a lot of time to celebrate this, to enjoy this, because things like this are very rare in life.”
“Tina and I have known each other for a long time. She is an athlete, she is very strong. We also have very strong ties, because she is externally and internally a wonderful person, and we have always thought that what happens on the tatami, stays on the tatami”.
On her role as flag bearer for France at the Opening Ceremony, she added: “This was a magnificent experience, representing and being the flag bearer for France. All the very good energy, good vibrations, that they transmitted to us. It was a celebration. It was a party. It was unexpected that we could go.
“This has been the best moment, well, the second best, because probably winning would be the best.”
