Winner of the Grand Slam of Paris, ten days ago, the Castelnauvienne Blandine Pont has established herself a little more as one of the very great hopes of tricolor judo.
A few days after winning the gold medal at the Grand Slam in Paris, what do you remember from this exceptional performance?
It was a very big moment. Winning in this room at Bercy and in front of the French public is something truly incredible and something I’m not about to forget. I also think that what I experienced in this competition, apart from the major international championships, is quite incomparable in terms of emotions and sensations. These are memories that will stay with me for a very long time.
We also saw you very moved at the end of the last fight.
Yes, it’s true. It was a mixture of several feelings, between the relief of finally being rewarded for my efforts and the feeling of not really realizing what I had just accomplished. When you train hard every day, it’s to experience those emotions. But it’s not an end in itself, this gold medal must be a step for the rest of my career.
Can this victory be useful to you for the next deadlines?
I think yes. In French judo, it is never trivial to win the Paris tournament. I know that with this gold medal, I wrote a new line in the history of the discipline. It’s a dream I’ve had in me for many years. What will count today is to rely on this performance to get new results. It’s a step taken, it’s up to me to do everything not to come back down.
You are in competition, in your category of -48kg, with the Gardoise Shirine Boukli. How do you live this rivalry?
With Shirine, we have known each other for a very long time. We each go our own way, but I think our competition is pretty healthy. What is interesting is that it encourages us to surpass ourselves and go even further in work and performance. She, like me, wants to raise our level each time to obtain this number one spot at the French level. It’s constructive.
The list of athletes selected for the world championships was unveiled this week. Are you disappointed not to be part of it?
Above all, I am focused and motivated, in the sense that there is still a place to go. The selection committee awaits the Tel Aviv Grand Slam this week to find out which category will be doubled. I will give my maximum on this competition to hope to have the chance to participate in these Worlds.
What exactly can we wish you for the future?
After a few days of training last week, we will continue with the Grand Slam of Tel Aviv. I hope to do the best possible performance there to then be selected for the world championships. I am confident, I will give everything to seek new victories.
