While the Japanese achieved a faultless home this Saturday at the Grand Slam in Tokyo, Alpha Djalo managed to get on the podium in -81 kg. Beaten in the quarter-finals by the Japanese Kenya Kohara, the member of PSG Judo, 26, got the better of the Japanese Takeshi Sasaki (ippon) to pocket the bronze. Winner of the Zagreb Grand Prix (Croatia) in July, he signed his second career Grand Slam podium after his second place in Dusseldorf (Germany) in 2018.
Chilard misses the podium
Engaged in the same weight category, Nicolas Chilard, winner of the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam in October, took 7th place, beaten by the Japanese Olympic champion Nagase Takanori in the quarter-finals then by the Canadian François Gauthier-Drapeau for the bronze.
In -73 kg, Joan-Benjamin Gaba gave up in the second round, as did Maxime-Gaël Ngayap Hambou in -90 kg. Loris Tassier (-90 kg) fell as soon as he entered the running. The only Frenchwoman engaged this Saturday, Faiza Mokadar (-57 kg) gave up in the second round.
