Just over five months from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (July 24-August 9), Clarisse Agbegnenou has ideally started her Olympic year, with a sixth coronation in the prestigious Paris tournament, taking revenge on the Japanese Nami Nabekura, Saturday in Bercy. The 27-year-old judoka had ended 2019 with a defeat, the first in individual for two years in the Masters final in Qingdao against Nami Nabekura. In Paris, she put things right, winning over ippon at the end of the four-minute fight against Nabekura.
“I am proud because I always try to work more, to give more. This is the best competition this Grand Slam in Paris, there was such energy. Don't worry, I won't disappoint you in a few months ”, commented the quadruple world champion (2014, 2017, 2018, 2019) at the microphone of the L'Equipe channel after her victory.
In Tokyo on July 28, she will go in search of the Olympic grail, the gold that escaped her four years ago in Rio, the only one that is missing from her immense prize list. Even if she claims not to think about it every day, she is preparing to have all the solutions on D-Day in Tokyo. “I worked on several things, whether at Insep this week or at Champigny in my club. I told myself that I have to open up to other techniques, ”she explains with the idea of not recognizing the same mishap as during the Masters. "I will continue my work. I have secret boots for the Games, don't worry, ”she added to L'Equipe's microphone.
Contrasting results for the other Blues
Beaten in the semi-final by the Japanese Wakana Koga, Mélanie Clément (-48 kg) went to get her first podium in Paris, beating the Spanish Laura Martinez Abelenda on ippon in the repechage final. In the same category, Shirine Boukli had to settle for 5th place, after pushing the Ukrainian Daria Bilodid - double reigning world champion - to her entrenchments, conceding the defeat on ippon in the golden score after more than eight minutes of fight. Sarah-Léonie Cysique (-57 kg) and Astride Gneto also failed at the foot of the podium in Paris.
However, no Frenchman entered in the three categories on the program on Saturday (-60 kg, -66 kg, -70 kg) managed to make it to the quarterfinals. Sunday, the ten-time heavyweight world champion Teddy Riner will start his Olympic season, having only contested - and won - two tournaments since his last world title in November 2017 (all categories).
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