Published on : 10/05/2023 – 17:39Modified : 10/05/2023 – 17:46
The French Clarisse Agbégnénou, back to the worlds after maternity leave, won the World Judo Championships on Wednesday in Doha, in the -63 kg category.
Sixth title of world champion. At 14 months from the Paris Olympics, her big dream, the Frenchwoman Clarisse Agbégnénou sent a message to the competition. For her return to the worlds after maternity leave, she won the final, Wednesday, May 10 in Doha, in the -63 kg category. She beat Slovenian Andreja Leski
“I couldn’t have dreamed of better, I worked very, very hard to get here,” she told the L’Équipe channel. “I still have things to work on for Paris-2024, but I’m proud, it’s the most difficult title, I worked a lot to get there, cried a lot too”.
“I told my daughter that I would put the medal around her neck, thing promised thing due,” she said smiling, as her daughter was by her side throughout the day.
Her day of competition had started with a victory in the first round against the Serbian Anja Obradovic, 30th in the world, after 3 min 45 of combat.
She then won by ippon in overtime against the Cuban Maylin Del Toro Carvajal, fighting a close fight against the 16th in the world and recent finalist of the Grand Slam of Tel Aviv.
In the third round, against the Israeli Gili Sharir, 7th in the world and winner of the Grand Slam in Paris in early February, she was again forced into extra time, before winning by waza-ari.
She then rose to power in the quarter-finals, dominating the Canadian Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard, world No. 2 and reigning vice-world champion by ippon, despite being frightened during a ground combat phase.
Not 100% yet
The picture having cleared up after the early elimination of the two Japanese women, the Frenchwoman, present in Qatar with her daughter, found herself facing in the semi-final the Austrian Lubjana Piovesana, 60th in the world, whom she dominated by meticulously ippon.
Absent from the last edition of the worlds due to maternity leave, Agbégnénou signed her big comeback on the planetary scene in Qatar, in preparation for the Olympic Games at home in a little over a year.
Since her recovery, the double Olympic champion in Tokyo, now six-time world champion, had only played two competitions, the first with her club at the end of 2022, then the Grand Slam in Tel Aviv last February.
Before the worlds, she had considered herself capable of going for a medal, while declaring that she was not yet at 100% of her abilities.
“I think that undeniably there is a psychological aspect. The boss is back and that worried everyone,” said coach Ludovic Delacotte, interviewed just after qualifying for the final.
With AFP
