Worlds: Margaux Pinot and Alexis Mathieu eliminated in the second round, Marie-Eve Gahié in the third

Dirty Monday for the French at the Judo Worlds. Margaux Pinot and Alexis Mathieu were both eliminated in the second round on Monday in Tashkent, while Marie-Eve Gahié, world champion in 2019, was released in the third round in -70 kg. Exempted from the first round, she started her day by beating the Brazilian Luana Carvalho on penalties. But for her next fight, the Frenchwoman, who was aiming for a medal, did not find the solution against the Japanese Niizoe Saki.

“I am disgusted“, reacted the recent European champion. “I felt very good but I think I got carried away by his judo.”

After eight minutes of a grueling fight, Pinot (-70 kg) received a third penalty during extra time against Croatian Lara Cvjetko, an opponent she was meeting for the first time. “She was waiting for me to attack, she was a little defensive to counter me, well done“, she reacted. “I didn’t come for that but she was stronger, that’s all“. Margaux Pinot, 25, had reaped convincing results this season, including a victory at the Grand Slam in Paris. But she also had a trying year off the mat. In June, her ex-trainer and companion Alain Schmitt , whom she accused of domestic violence, was released.Then in August, a motorcycle accident which had required a month off disrupted her preparation.

Mathieu was “surprised”

Asked whether this context had weighed on her World Championships, the one who recently changed clubs replied: “I think a little“, before bursting into tears. For his first appearance at the Worlds, the Frenchman Alexis Mathieu was also eliminated in the second round in the -90 kg category. After a hard-hitting first fight against the Senegalese Abderahmane Diao, Matthieu, 23, was taken out by Brazilian Marcelo Gomes on ippon.

“I felt good in the warm-up, I did a good diet. It was seen on the first fight, but I am surprised at the start of the match“, he analyzed. Alexis Mathieu had been selected for these Uzbek Worlds after the withdrawal of Maxime-Gaël Ngayap Hambou. After five days of competition, France has only two bronze medals, that of Amandine Buchard ( -52 kg) and that, more unexpected, of Manon Deketer (-63 kg).