Counter unlocked for the French team in Tokyo!
And it is the judoka Luka Mkheidze who has just brought the first medal of the delegation.
Entered in the under 60 kg category, he won against South Korean Kim Won-Jin in the golden score, to win a superb bronze medal.
Mkheidze, warmly congratulated by his coach, could not restrain his tears at the end of his fight.
🥋 🇫🇷 🥉 Luka Mkheidze wins the first medal of the tricolor clan!
The French won bronze in the under 60 kg category against Kim Won-Jin after his disappointment in the semifinals!
▶ ️ Follow the Olympics live: https://t.co/wuA7t8ktsS pic.twitter.com/fTTpo5RZFS
- France tv sport (@francetvsport) July 24, 2021
“To participate in the games, to bring back a medal… At the beginning it was not won for me, this postponement gave me another chance to qualify.
There I come out of my fight, I can't believe it: I managed to win this medal, ”he said, moved, at the microphone of France Televisions.
After an ideal first part of the day, where he had notably beaten the Spaniard Francisco Garrigos, reigning European champion, the French ended up giving in in the semifinals, against the solid Taiwanese Yang Yung Wei.
In the final, the latter will find Naohisa Takato.
Bronze medalist in 2016 in Rio, the Japanese defeated Kazakh Yeldos Smetov in the semifinals and started as favorite in this fight.
Silver medalist at the European Championships
At 25, Luka Mkheidze was competing in Tokyo for his first Olympic Games, a few weeks after claiming the title of European vice-champion in Lisbon, Portugal.
Licensed at the Sucy-en-Brie club (Val-de-Marne), the judoka has been defending the colors of France since 2015, when he was naturalized French. Born in Georgia, Luka Mkheidze and part of his family fled their country of origin, "to have a better life". Thanks to him, the Blues are launched!
