Disillusionment there is, but there is also a huge champion.
Teddy Riner will climb onto an Olympic podium for the fourth time in a row.
The Frenchman, beaten in the quarterfinals against world number one Bachaev, won in the match for 3rd place against Japan's Hisayoshi Harasawa.
He offers France his thirteenth medal in Tokyo, the seventh for judo, and wants to remember two things: his ability to bounce back here at the Nippon Budokan and his longevity on the international scene. “Of course, there is frustration he conceded at the microphone of France Televisions, while remaining smiling. But I believe that today, we must remember age. Of course I know I had the level to go to the final but the truth is, I'm still happy. This is my 4th Olympic medal at 32 years old. I started on the senior circuits at 17 years old. To last is difficult. Winning once is good. To do it for a long time is something else. I managed to reinvent myself during this day. It is a source of pride, I am happy to have been on the march every time at events like this one ”.
🗣️ Teddy Riner's reaction right after the bronze medal victory.
Smiling, the tricolor judoka is happy to climb once again on an Olympic podium #Olympic Games
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- France tv sport (@francetvsport) July 30, 2021
The two-time Olympic champion and ten-time world champion has not closed the door to Paris 2024. “We cannot have everything.
I was on the first step of the podium for a long time.
There remains Paris 2024 and it remains especially tomorrow by teams.
If we take the medal, I will be a triple Olympic champion, ”he declared.