Alexis Foray Claims Bronze at Veterans European Championships
Alexis Foray secured a third-place finish in the -81 kg M2 division at the Veterans European Championships on October 24 and 25 in Portimao, Portugal, as reported by jhm.fr. The result highlights a strong weekend across multiple mats for the Judo-club Marnaval/Saint-Dizier 52, which collected three podium finishes overall during the late-October competitions.
Weighing Priorities Ahead of Portugal
Foray’s continental medal followed a deliberate shift in his autumn schedule. Following the birth of his daughter during the summer, the judoka chose to bypass the World Championships in late September in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, opting instead to focus entirely on his preparation for the European tournament in Portugal.
Silver and Bronze Won in Nantes
While Foray competed in Portugal, club teammates traveled to the Label Excellence senior tournament in Nantes. Gwendal Lebel earned a silver medal in the -90 kg category following a tightly contested final. In the -63 kg division, Margot Girard captured a bronze medal to secure the club’s second podium finish at the venue. Fares Bouzid placed fifth in the +100 kg bracket, and Nolan Coutant competed in the -73 kg event, alongside Marion Sévin in the -48 kg category and Marie Fernandez in the -70 kg division.
Minimes Gain Experience in Troyes
On Sunday, October 25, younger competitors from Marnaval/Saint-Dizier traveled to Troyes for a national tournament featuring 350 judokas. The club’s minimes division representatives—including Perrine Bonnet, Lamia Haloui, Eugénie Ménissier, and Maisam Mnasser—did not reach the podium in a large field that also included club peers Claire Lebel, Dorian Aubriot, Rachid Derkaoui, Tom Dehaye, Soulaymane Merebhi, Wassim Ouali, Mathis Todaro, Amiran Parastaev, and Marceau Jeanjean.
Club Staff Pursue Officiating Roles and International Coaching Credentials
Off the tatami, club staff maintained a busy schedule of officiating and certification work. Clément Legoux, Valentin Martinat, Patrick Berta, Lamia Ghannou, Nathan Hartmann, Jean Pomerenka, Julien Allibert, and Mohamed Ouali worked as referees, coaches, and commissioners across the weekend’s tournaments. Concurrently, Clément Legoux undertook a training program at the IJF Academy in Paris aimed at securing an international coaching credential required to guide athletes at higher-tier international events.
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