For Madeleine Malonga, Paris 2024 is not yet in the bag. This will require the selection committee, which meets on Tuesday, to choose her over Audrey Tcheuméo to represent France in the under 78 kg category. If the committee ever decides, because it can still wait until the European Championship in Croatia on April 27 to award the 14th and final ticket for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in judo.
But Malonga’s beautiful day, during the 5th Grand Slam of the season in Antalya, certainly changed the situation in this distance duel against Tcheuméo. While the PSG judokate (5th in the world) had contented herself with a fifth place in Tbilisi (Georgia) a week earlier, “Mado” did not miss her chance on Turkish soil. After two easy rounds against the Lithuanian Dudenaite (41st in the world) and the Russian Shmeleva (74th), the fighter from Blanc-Mesnil got down to business in the quarter-finals.
Magnificent ippon in the final
Facing the Portuguese Patricia Sampaio, better ranked than her (11th against 13th), Jean-Pierre Gibert’s protégé did not tremble in achieving her third ippon of the day. Qualified for the semi-finals, Malonga pulled out all the stops against the German Anna Maria Wagner.
The fight starts well with a waza-ari after a minute and a half. But Wagner is not world number 3 for nothing, she pushes the Frenchwoman to make a mistake, collecting two warnings, the last of which 40 seconds from the end. One yellow card from defeat, Malonga copes mentally and goes to the final.
With this final opening for Malonga, part of the door to the Paris 2024 Olympics is opening for her. In the final, the 2019 world champion and Olympic vice-champion in 2021 meets another German, Alina Boehm, 7th in the world and reigning European champion. This same German who beat Audrey Tcheuméo in the repechage final a week ago by waza-ari.
“The decision-makers will decide as always”
Imperial, Madeleine Malonga won after a masterful ippon over the reigning European champion after 1′42′’ of combat. A gold medal which therefore places the judoka from Blanc-Mesnil in an ideal position in the race for the Olympic Games. “The decision-makers will decide as always. I can’t comment on that. I gave myself, I’m so happy,” she confided to the team. “There was only one way out, and that was winning,” she added.
A sigh of relief for the Habs, who have come a long way. “I have immense pride. Because the Olympiad was very difficult. A year ago, I knew that by not making the Worlds, to seek an Olympic qualification, I was going to have to get up very, very early. And I got up very, very early. I trained very hard, I questioned myself, I fought until the end. And each time it came out it was difficult. I’ve been very high (in mental tension) for ten months. I didn’t give up. I had the support of the club, of Jean-Pierre Gibert (his club coach). And today it’s paying off, I’m so proud of myself. »
Other French people shone during this Turkish Grand Slam. After the silver of Luka Mkheidze (-60 kg) and the bronze of Walide Khyar (-66 kg) and Faiza Mokdar (-57 kg) on Friday, Sunday made up for Saturday’s zero points. Thus, Julia Tolofua (+78 kg) won the gold medal by winning in the final against the Chinese Su Xin.
