Romaric Bouda and Mathilde Aurel delivered standout performances at the Rochefort senior judo tournament, beating a competitive field of 295 athletes to claim their respective weight class titles. Held on the final weekend of September, the fixture serves as an early-season testing ground for domestic contenders seeking crucial momentum ahead of the upcoming national championship qualifiers.
Bouda Controls the -66kg Division With Tactical Precision
Competing under the banner of the Stade Bordelais Judo club, Romaric Bouda carved a steady path through the 66kg bracket. The left-hander, who captured silver at the 2024 French championships, relied on disciplined strategy and patient grip-fighting to outmaneuver his opponents. Utilizing precise techniques including sasae-tsuri-komi-ashi, ko-soto-gari, and sumi-gaeshi, Bouda advanced to the final where he defeated Pierrick Idmont of ACBB Judo, a military national champion in the same division. Anatole Guillard, the 2024 junior national champion in the -60kg category representing Dojos de l’Agglomération du Niortais 79, secured the bronze medal.
Bouda’s trajectory at Rochefort mirrors past preparation strategies employed by elite competitors. Kevin Azema used the Rochefort tatamis as an essential training waypoint before securing senior 1st division national titles in 2023 and 2024.
Aurel Shines in the -48kg Category Following National Success
In the women’s -48kg division, Mathilde Aurel of JC Lons 64 asserted her dominance through dynamic pacing and varied attacking sequences. Aurel, who entered the INSEP national training center in September, built on her strong spring campaign where she claimed a national junior medal by defeating recent junior European silver medalist Céline Iddir. In Rochefort, Aurel consistently dismantled her opponents’ defenses with effective ko-uchi makikomi throws.
The tournament also highlighted emerging talent across younger age divisions. Louanne Réveillon of JC Vallée du Clain secured victory in the -57kg category, while Maelyne Wandji of JC Bocage Bressuirais triumphed in the +78kg bracket after a fifth-place finish at the cadet world championships in Guyaquil, Ecuador.
Stade Bordelais Dominates the Club Standings
Stade Bordelais finished the weekend as the most successful delegation at the Rochefort venue. The club collected two titles, one silver medal, and three bronze medals across the tournament’s various weight classes.
With the Rochefort warm-up concluded, attention shifts directly to the official qualification events for the 1st division French championships. The first qualifying tournaments are scheduled for the following weekend in Noisy-le-Grand, located in Seine-Saint-Denis, and Contrexéville in the Vosges department.
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