France’s national judo team secured 10 total medals at the recent World Championships, finishing with two gold titles that mark the end of a dominant 23-year streak of capturing at least one individual world crown every year since 2003, according to reports from Flashscore.fr.
The End of a Two-Decade Gold Streak
The conclusion of the World Championships leaves the French delegation facing a stark transition period just two years after hosting the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. While the program yielded a double-digit medal tally, the inability to match previous gold output highlights a growing gap at the top level of international competition. Last year’s global tournament featured a single individual title from Joan-Benjamin Gaba, which briefly cushioned the federation’s statistical descent. The 2026 edition produced no gold medals at all, snapping a remarkable run that began at the turn of the century.
Roster Holes and the Men’s Depth Crisis
Federation president Stéphane Nomis had initially set a public target of four gold medals for the Baku World Championships, an objective that proved unachievable as the tournament unfolded across 14 weight categories. French competitors were entirely absent from four weight classes on the program. The glaring omission of a representative in the women’s -52kg division raised questions regarding selection strategies, given the presence of established names like double Olympic medalist Amandine Buchard and double Grand Slam winner Blandine Pont.
On the men’s side, the absence of heavyweight star Teddy Riner left a massive void in a squad that traditionally leans on his decades-long dominance. Across the seven men’s divisions, three featured no French entries at all. The entire male delegation mustered a single bronze medal, won unexpectedly by Dayyan Boulemtafes in the -73kg category, while established leaders like double Olympic medalist Luka Mkheidze failed to reach the podium.
Team Competition Frustrations and Controversies
In the mixed team competition, where France entered as reigning Olympic champions, the squad fell short after tight encounters. Les Bleus traded 3-3 draws in both the quarterfinals against Russia and the subsequent repechage against Georgia. The quarterfinal hinged on an unfavorable draw in the tie-breaking phase, while the repechage loss involved a decisive bout against an injured opponent.
Aleksa Mitrovic, who dropped both of his matches during the team phase, addressed the performance with L’Équipe. “I haven’t been up to par, I apologize for the team. I don’t know what to say. On the first fight, when Bekauri gets hurt, it’s sport, I know, but for me, it’s almost inhuman to go and break his leg. I know that he wouldn’t have hesitated, but…” Mitrovic said, as reported by Flashscore.fr.
Individual Medal Summary
Despite the broader structural concerns across the divisions, four French athletes successfully claimed podium finishes during the individual events:
- Kaïla Issoufi (-78kg category) – Silver medal
- Romane Dicko (+78kg category) – Silver medal
- Shirine Boukli (-48kg category) – Bronze medal
- Dayyan Boulemtafes (-73kg category) – Bronze medal
“We cry a little bit and we go back to the coal mine,” Romane Dicko told L’Équipe following the conclusion of the tournament, looking ahead to the long preparation cycle required before the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
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