Day and night for French judo.
Between a women's team which won five individual medals – a title for Clarisse Agbegnenou, three silver awards and one bronze – at the last Tokyo Olympics and its male counterpart which owes only the essential Teddy Riner and the surprising Luka Mkheidze to have gleaned two third places, the performance gap is colossal.
Incomparable.
Moreover, Larbi Benboudaoud, the director of high performance within the French Judo Federation, did not even try to beat around the bush when discussing the selection process for the European Championships which is will take place in Sofia from April 29 to May 1.
"
In women's, we had difficult choices to make, with always this problem of wealth which, I hope, will last.
For boys, the situation is different.
There are many athletes who are going to experience their first European Championships.
It will probably be more complicated for them.
»
Thus, symbol of the renewal – more constrained than desired – of this men's team, not a member present in Tokyo will make the trip to the Bulgarian capital.
Some are put to rest, one – Mkheidze – is injured, another – Axel Clerget – wonders about the category in which he should continue.
Guillaume Chaine is recovering from a physical problem while the boss, Teddy Riner, has returned to training and Insep, but too late to apply for a competition which, in any case, does not has never been one of his objectives for the year, he who now has his eyes turned, not to say fixed, on Paris 2024. Home Games which are coming quickly, in just over two years.
Too fast for the still very green Blues?
"
I'm not particularly worried, but we're not magicians either
,” says Benboudaoud.
“
We will try to support them as best we can.
We can see the arrival of a great generation which performed well at the last Junior World Championships.
Afterwards, the transition between juniors and seniors is complicated, and we must do everything not to miss it.
Simply, it will take time and we only have a little over two years left between now and Paris 2024, which will pass very quickly.
»
We want to see audacity, insolence, gluttony.
Christopher Gagliano
For Christophe Gagliano, the manager of this men's team without a leader and without reference at the high international level, the important thing will therefore not be the results stricto sensu, but more the manner.
“
We approach these European Championships calmly, as a great challenge to take up.
We know that we don't yet have the references that allow us to arrive in a position of favorites, but that's not so bad.
And we are on a training logic with a view to Paris 2024. We want to see audacity, insolence, gluttony.
We want to see potential, to feel progress as was the case in Paris
(during the Grand Slam in February)
.
Going for a medal if the opportunity arises is part of that potential progression.
But we will not be looking for immediate results, which is different from a European Championship at the end of the cycle.
»
An opportunity to seize
Cédric Revol (-60kg), Daikii Bouba (-66kg), Orlando Cazorla (-66kg), Benjamin Axus (-73kg), Théo Riquin (-73kg), Maxime Ngayap Hambou (-90kg), Alexis Mathieu (-90kg), Cédric Olivar (-100kg) and finally Joseph Terhec (+100kg) will therefore have a good card to play, with measured pressure.
Even if the upcoming return of the "
Olympians
" will perhaps not give them a better opportunity to shine, before the World Championships next October.
And then French judo has been too used to eating foie gras to suddenly settle for a simple duck mousse.
“
I don't train them to tell myself that we are going to go to the European Championships so as not to make the podiums
”, affirms a voluntary Benboudaoud.
"
Now, it is certain that on paper, given the rankings, the men's team is not worth the women, who will arrive as the big favorite in almost all categories.
And at worst, as Christophe
(Gagliano) said
, we will also be attentive to the state of mind.
We want athletes who are 200% committed.
Afterwards, as Nelson Mandela said, you never lose, you simply learn or you win.
»
