It is an earthquake in the world of judo. Teddy Riner on the mat. The French, double Olympic champion, lost in the 3rd round of the Paris tournament this Sunday, February 9 against the Japanese Kokoro Kageura. This setback, as unexpected as it was worrying before the Tokyo Olympics this summer, puts an end to the mad streak of 154 victories for the tricolor giant.
Previously, the 30-year-old judoka had suffered defeat only twice in his senior career, in 2008 and 2010. It was another era, before Riner became the monster of world judo.
August 15, 2008: the only Olympic failure
Teddy Riner is then a young judoka of 19 years, who will live his first Olympic Games, in Beijing. Despite his precocity, the Frenchman is not an unknown. The previous year, the Guadeloupean won the world and European title in more than 100 kg. Logically, his name is among the favorites for the Olympic coronation, even if he is still only a junior by his age.
After the first two laps past, the Habs sees Abdullo Tangriev standing in front of him in the quarterfinals. The Uzbek is cunning, facing a youngster without vice. In the golden score, after nine minutes of unattractive combat, Riner receives an eliminatory penalty for non-combativeness. The news was trapped.
The dream shattered, the French did not have time to procrastinate, being drafted to go for a bronze medal (the losers of the quarters compete in a new table for a bronze medal). Later, he will say that he struggled to get over it, especially after taking "a fan" from the manager of the French teams, Patrick Rosso.
Little by little, Riner gets back in place and rebels. "After my defeat, I was pissed off," he said. In the semi-finals and the repechage final, he crushes his opponents to grab the bronze. "I have a little disappointment because I don't like to lose on a penalty, but I am very happy," he said after the podium. At 19, he was still a medalist in the most prestigious competition.
September 13, 2010: "I got robbed"
Two years after the Games in China, Teddy Riner has established himself as the man to beat global judo. In 2009, he retained his world heavyweight crown. At the 2010 World Cup in Tokyo, the land of judo, he therefore advances as the big favorite.
For the French, the competition begins ideally. On the first day of competition, the 21-year-old won a third world crown of over 100 kg. Four days later, he returned to the tatami mats for the Men's Open, the title for all categories combined. He then aimed for a fifth world crown, which no judoka had ever done.
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The native of Abymes passes without difficulty the laps and joins the final. Facing him is the local Daiki Kamikawa, a somewhat surprised finalist. Neither of the two men scored points in regulation time. In the golden score, the referee gave the victory to the Japanese, who managed to destabilize Riner twice during this overtime. Believing himself injured, Teddy Riner then enters a black anger. "I got caught, I got robbed, that's all that happened," he asserts at the RTL microphone. He denounces the disrespect of his opponent, for having done "no action" except "big paws that hurt the legs".
This defeat, which leaves him only the money, will transcend Teddy Riner thereafter. In 2017, on RMC Sport, he declared: "This defeat allowed me to become what I am today". Teddy Riner will chain 154 successes in a row, and will add six world titles and two Olympic coronations to his record.
