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A year after her bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, the Frenchwoman Romane Dicko became world judo champion on Wednesday in the over 78 kg category.
The first title will have been long overdue for the French judo team at the Worlds in Tashkrent, in Uzbekistan. And it was Romane Dicko, bronze medalist at the Tokyo Olympics last year, who offered it to the Habs by beating the Brazilian Beatriz Sousa in the final by ippon, the best mark which, once registered, puts an end to the fight. .
“I feel a lot of emotion because I knew I could do it, but knowing it and doing it is another thing,” she said after receiving her medal.
“I had a very complicated start to the day, I had a hard time getting into the competition but it gave me a boost. I said to myself, ‘I have no choice, I have to be more aggressive. ‘ and for the final I really took it up a notch. I was the usual Romane.”
Celine Dion ? “The base !”
Celine Dion in the ears during the warm-up – “it’s the base!” –, lucky belt around the waist, Dicko was expeditious in the final over 78 kg, putting his Brazilian opponent ippon in just over a minute.
>> To read also: “Romane Dicko: from the stands of Rio to the podium of Tokyo”
A little earlier, the other Frenchwoman involved in the category, Julia Tolofua had won the bronze medal by winning on penalties against the Israeli Raz Hershko.
On the way to the final, Dicko, also a three-time European champion, lost by ippon to Chinese Su Xin for her entry into the second round, before signing two waza-ari against Dutchwoman Marit Kamps in the quarterfinals. of final. She then beat her compatriot Julia Tolofua in the semi-finals.
“Obviously, it’s complicated because with Julia we love each other a lot, but I’m very happy that there are two of us on the podium of the World Championships”, smiled Dicko.
At the end of the last day of individual competitions, and before the team event on Thursday, France therefore has four medals including a title.
Breaking the bad French series
The Blues have lived through difficult Championships so far, with several poor performances from the women’s team, expected much higher.
The start of the competition had seen the premature eliminations of Shirine Boukli, world number 1 in the under 48 kg category, and Sarah-Léonie Cysique, Olympic vice-champion in Tokyo in the under 57 kg category. On Monday, Margaux Pinot and Marie-Ève Gahié had fallen before the quarters. Then Tuesday in less than 78 kg, it was Madeleine Malonga, also in silver in Tokyo last year, who fell as soon as she entered the running.
“Inevitably, it reaches a little because when we have friends at the self-service in the evening, we think that everyone will come back with medals and that’s what we want for our friends. But we have to go over it”, she said.
Two phone calls later – one to her cousin, triple jumper Teddy Tamgho, and another to Teddy Riner – Dicko felt “reassured”. “I said to myself: ‘OK, it’s complicated for the French team but each athlete is different. It’s your competition, it’s not yet the team’s competition. Today, it’s your day and just ‘Have a blast.'”
Less than two years from the Olympic Games and when she was only 23, Dicko thus established herself as one of the leaders of the French collective, alongside Riner, currently injured, and Clarisse Agbégnénou, in phase recovery after maternity leave.
Asked what made her strong, she replied with her usual smile: “It’s a mixture of mental, physical, dynamism. It’s a bit of all that, a big salad well done!”
With AFP
