France departed the World Judo Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, without a single individual gold medal for the first time since 2003, after heavyweight contender Romane Dicko fell in the final on Saturday, October 10, 2026.
Romane Dicko falls in the heavyweight final against Lee Hyeonji
Entering the final day of individual competition at the Heydar Aliyev Arena, Dicko stood as the delegation’s final opportunity to secure a world title. Competing in the over-78 kg category, the 2022 world champion built a flawless path through the preliminary rounds. In the championship bout, however, South Korea’s Lee Hyeonji neutralized the French favorite by pinning her to the mat. The defeat left Dicko with the silver medal, denying her a second career world crown following her 2022 triumph in Tashkent.
The result capped a difficult campaign for the French team, which finished the individual tournament well short of the targets set by the French Judo Federation leadership. Federation president prior to the tournament had outlined an ambitious objective of capturing four gold medals alongside a maximum overall podium count. Instead, the delegation concluded the individual events with four total medals: two silvers and two bronzes.
How the French medal count accumulated across weight classes
Beyond Dicko’s silver finish in the over-78 kg division, Kaïla Issoufi added another silver for France in the under-78 kg category. In the earlier rounds of Dicko’s weight class, compatriot Léa Fontaine exited the competition during the round of 16. The remaining French podium finishes came via bronze medals from Shirine Boukli in the under-48 kg division and Dayyan Boulemtafes in the under-73 kg category.
The overall medal haul stood in stark contrast to expectations, impacted by both tactical setbacks and high-profile absences. The men’s heavyweight division (+100 kg) featured no French competitor after Teddy Riner withdrew prior to the event, and coaching staff elected not to name a replacement. Meanwhile, title defense bids and high-ranking returns unravelled early: under-73 kg defending champion Joan-Benjamin Gaba was eliminated in his opening match, and Clarisse Agbégnénou failed to secure a medal in her international championship return following her second pregnancy. In another blow for the squad, Sarah-Léonie Cysique required stretcher evacuation during the tournament, forcing her to withdraw from her scheduled bronze medal contest.
The mixed team event offers a final chance at gold in Baku
With individual competition concluded, the French delegation turns its focus to the closing phase of the championships. The tournament in Baku wraps up with the mixed team event on Sunday, October 11, 2026, where the squad can contest one final medal before departing Azerbaijan.
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