Teddy Riner has made a successful return to competition. More than two months after his last fight, the double Olympic champion won the Paris Grand Slam on Sunday February 5 at the Accor Arena in Paris for the seventh time in his career. He equals Lucie Decosse’s record for coronations in the capital. Winner of the Japanese Hyoga Ota in the final of the over 100 kg tournament, the Frenchman is back to winning ways, ten years after his last success in Paris.
In the final, in front of 13,000 spectators fully committed to his cause, Teddy Riner took three minutes to win his fight. Aggressive and enterprising from the start, he pushed his opponent to a fault without being disturbed by the smaller size of the Japanese. Hyoga Ota was sanctioned with a penalty three times, thus giving the victory to the tricolor judoka.
SEVEN AT HOME! Teddy Riner wins for the 7th time at Bercy, in front of his audience, as he returned from injury… https://t.co/Q3izJQFiK1
“It’s fun, but I know there’s still a lot of work to do. It’s nice to come back after an injury with a victory, he rejoiced at the microphone of The chain L’Equipe. Step by step, we continue to prepare for the Olympic Games. The old man is still there, and as long as it lasts. I felt good, I was not having a great day, I was at 60-70% of my abilities. I am happy. »
For his ninth appearance at Bercy, the last was in 2020 (3e), Teddy Riner therefore won his five fights of the day. He was first quick against the Bahraini Azamat Chotchaev, winning on an ippon after twenty-nine seconds. In the next round, he needed two minutes and thirty-five seconds to overcome Kazakh Adil Orazbayev, a surprise winner over Brazilian double Olympic medalist Rafael Silva. In the quarter-finals, the fight against Azerbaijani Dzhamal Gamzatkhanov went to extra time. In the semis, Riner edged out Uzbek Alisher Yusupov, 6e world, to penalties before the end of regulation time.
Objective: Doha Worlds
This gold medal should allow the Guadeloupean to reassure himself after a somewhat truncated year 2022. After his winning return to the Budapest Grand Slam in July, the 33-year-old judoka suffered a serious ankle injury. He had been forced to forfeit the Worlds organized in Uzbekistan in October. Since then, Riner had only fought with PSG, in the Champions League, on November 26. He was initially defeated by Georgian Guram Tushishvili, but the result was later reversed, with the international federation acknowledging a refereeing fault.
The Doha World Championships (May 7-14) are Teddy Riner’s next goal. Before that, he will do several internships abroad, the first of which should start in a week, in Brazil. But only a third Olympic title continues to animate it, more than a year from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. “It’s not great Teddy Riner, but it’s enough to win, analyzed his trainer, Franck Chambily, on Sunday. It’s always good to win at home, then it’s a rehearsal before the Games. He had fun. »
The French clan totaled four gold medals during this Paris Grand Slam. Blandine Pont and Priscilla Gneto won on Saturday, respectively in less than 48 kilos and less than 57 kilos. On Sunday, Audrey Tcheuméo had beaten Teddy Riner by winning her sixth title at the Accor Arena by winning the category of less than 78 kilos.
