Clarisse Agbégnénou missed out on a seventh world title at the World Judo Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, after losing both her quarterfinal and repechage bouts on Wednesday. Competing just six months after giving birth to her second child, the French judoka fell short of the podium in the under-63kg category following defeats to Hungary’s Ana Kriza and Mongolia’s Enkhriilen Lkhagvatogoo, lefigaro.fr reported.
Quarterfinal Exit Against Ana Kriza
The six-time world champion entered her quarterfinal match against Kriza as the clear favorite on paper. Agbégnénou fell behind by a yuko before clawing her way back to level terms, forcing the contest into a golden score period while her opponent carried two shido penalties. Fifteen seconds into the extra time, Kriza caught the French competitor with a decisive waza-ari to secure the victory. Agbégnénou had previously defeated the Hungarian during her opening match at the Lausanne Grand Slam in late August.
Repechage Struggles Versus Enkhriilen Lkhagvatogoo
Relegated to the repechage, Agbégnénou faced world number two Enkhriilen Lkhagvatogoo of Mongolia. Visibly frustrated and unable to establish an offensive rhythm, the French competitor accumulated two penalties before conceding a yuko with just 15 seconds remaining on the clock. The defeat ended her tournament without a medal, concluding a difficult afternoon for the French delegation after compatriot Manon Deketer exited the competition in the round of 16.
Early Rounds and the Road to Baku
Wednesday’s campaign began with a straightforward victory for the 33-year-old French star. She dispatched Slovenia’s Kaja Kajzer Zabkar in just over two minutes using a sweep followed by an immediate ground hold. In the round of 16, Agbégnénou overcame Canada’s Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard—the Tokyo 2021 bronze medalist and 2022 world silver medalist—by forcing penalties and scoring a late yuko to avoid a golden score period. Those early successes followed her return to competition at the Lausanne Grand Slam in August, where she captured a bronze medal just five months after the birth of her son, Dakota, joining her daughter Athéna, born in 2022.
Looking Ahead to the Olympic Cycle
Agbégnénou had repeatedly sought to temper expectations surrounding her return to the tatami, stating ahead of the tournament that she remains human despite her career achievements. With the Baku championships serving as an early test in her current competitive cycle, the triple Olympic medalist continues her long-term preparation toward capturing a second individual Olympic gold medal at the Summer Games in Los Angeles in two years.
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