A consecration, a nice surprise, with in the end a big dose of emotion.
And the confirmation that judo is the savior of the France team in this first week.
After the bronze of Luka Mkheidze (- 60 kg), the silver of Sarah-Léonie Cysique (- 57 kg) and Amandine Buchard (- 52 kg), Clarisse Agbégnénou finally offers gold.
The 7th medal was brought by Althéa Laurin (19 years old) in taekwondo.
For the rest, the days go by and look the same, with their share of disappointments.
In team sports, if the 3 x 3 basketball players have hung up their qualification for the semi-finals, that of 5 disappointed, as did their handball counterparts.
And that's nothing compared to mountain biking, which has completely passed through in the women's event.
It is also over for Maïva Hamadouche in boxing and for the girls in artistic gymnastics, 6th in the team competition and in their place.
Clarisse Agbégnénou, the star
She came, she saw, and she conquered.
The seven-time world champion (5 individual, 2 per team), five-time European champion, responded to the appointment of the Games, the only title missing from her extraordinary record.
Nobody resisted her throughout the day, not even the Slovenian Tina Trstenjak, reigning Olympic champion, beaten by the golden score.
The Frenchwoman paid tribute to her opponent by wearing it and the two young women cried together on the tatami.
It is already one of the strong images of these Games like no other.
And it is a Frenchwoman who is the author.
🥋🥇Clarisse Agbégnénou becomes Olympic champion for the first time in her career 🔥🔥🔥 # JeuxOlympiques https://t.co/6FOFNkr3Ly
- France tv sport (@francetvsport) July 27, 2021
Althéa Laurin, the thinning
We all hoped for gold, but it was ultimately the bronze that the 19-year-old Frenchwoman won in over 67 kg.
For his first participation in the Games, Althéa Laurin, who will celebrate his 20th birthday at the beginning of September, bravely played his role of outsider.
The world No. 10 was stopped by Serbian Milica Mandic (No. 3) in the semifinals.
For 3rd place, she patiently waited to defeat the Ivorian Aminata-Charlène Traoré, who ended up on her knees.
Paris 2024 is already waiting for the licensee of the Asnières-sur-Seine club.
🇫🇷 🥉 Althéa Laurin climbs on the podium and receives her bronze medal, the first of her young career in Taekwondo # Tokyo2020 #Olympic
Games Follow the Olympics live ▶ https://t.co/DbgV1naW1I pic.twitter.com/sV6xzHFIon
- France tv sport (@francetvsport) July 27, 2021
The mountain biking fiasco
With Loana Lecomte and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, leading the world rankings, France dreamed of at best a double, at worst of two medals.
It was without counting on the Swiss, who plunged the Tricolores into the ditches of the demanding course of Izu, soaked by an impressive downpour at the end of the morning.
🗣️ "I ended up having given everything"
🚵♀ Pauline Ferrand-Prévot looks back on her difficult race in Cross-Country MTB.
The Frenchwoman finished 10th, victim of a fall and a puncture # Tokyo2020 #JeuxOlympiques
Follow the Olympics live ▶ https://t.co/DbgV1naW1I pic.twitter.com/sN7PvLNZ9z
- France tv sport (@francetvsport) July 27, 2021
In the lead with Jolanda Neff, future Olympic champion, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (10th) fell and dropped her bike on the slope, before dying at the end of the course.
Loana Lecomte (6th) derailed and missed any chance of getting back on the untenable Helvetians.
In short, a Tuesday to forget, except for Switzerland, which has achieved a historic treble.
Basketball saved by the 3x3
They suffered before finally snatching their qualification for the semi-final by leaving Japan (16-14), who had beaten them in pools.
The 3x3 basketball players have already won their bet, while their sport has entered the Games circus this year.
For other basketball players, however, it is a huge misstep, also against the Land of the Rising Sun (70-74).
The same goes for the handball players, surprises (25-28) by Spain, who had not won this duel since Euro 2006!
Disappointment also for Maïva Hamadouche in boxing.
The pro who had wanted to come to Tokyo was released by a solid Finn: "I do not agree at all with the decision of the referees, launched the French.
I do not understand their decision.
For me, I do not lose!
For them, yes.
Osaka out, Biles in suspense
She should have been the star for the host country. Tenniswoman Naomi Osaka, severely beaten in two sets (1-6, 4-6) and barely 1h10 of play by Czech 42nd World Marketa Vondrousova, left the back door prematurely. In artistic gymnastics, the United States let the gold slip away at the expense of Russia (France is 6th). But it is especially Simone Biles who worries Americans. The strongest gymnasts of the modern era, already a five-time medalist (including four gold) in 2016 in Rio, was put aside in the midst of the event. She is suffering from a medical problem according to her federation.
