French judokas Blandine Pont and Sarah-Léonie Cysique secured the nation’s opening podium finishes at the Grand Slam of Lausanne in Switzerland, capturing two silver medals on Friday, August 28. Competing at a newly established stop on the international calendar, both athletes advanced to their respective gold-medal bouts before dropping finals against international opponents.
Blandine Pont Falls Short of Triple Crown in the -52kg Final
Entering the tournament after claiming Grand Slam victories in Tbilisi in March and Astana in early May, Blandine Pont (-52 kg) aimed for a third title. The French judoka reached the final showdown before encountering Israel’s Gefen Primo. In their first meeting on the tatami, Primo proved too difficult to break down, handing Pont a silver medal and halting her quest for a tournament treble.
Sarah-Léonie Cysique Matches Silver Form Against World Champion
In the -57kg division, France maintained a strong presence on the podium as Sarah-Léonie Cysique fought her way to another major international medal. Cysique, who triumphed at the last Grand Slam in Paris and collected silver and bronze medals at the 2021 and 2024 Olympic Games respectively, faced Georgia’s Eteri Liparteliani in the final. Liparteliani, holding the reigning world championship crown, used precise counter-attacks to control the pace and secure victory over the French contender.
The French -57kg contingent also featured Martha Fawaz, who advanced deep into the tournament bracket before falling in the semifinals to the same Liparteliani. Fawaz subsequently dropped her bronze-medal contest against Japan’s Ayami Takano, finishing just off the podium in Lausanne.
Tournament Schedule and Upcoming French Competitors
Action at the Grand Slam of Lausanne continues on Saturday, August 29, headlined by the return of six-time world champion Clarisse Agbégnénou in the -63kg category. Agbégnénou steps back onto the international stage five months following the birth of her second child. Competition concludes on Sunday with entries from Olympic medalists Maxime-Gaël Ngayap Hambou (-90 kg) and Romane Dicko (+78 kg), rounding out a busy weekend for the French delegation in Switzerland.
Worth a look
