For the first World Championships of her career, the French judoka Manon Deketer won Sunday in Tashkent the bronze medal in the category of less than 63 kg, the one where Clarisse Agbégnénou usually shines.
Deketer, 24 and 18th in the world, beat Poland's Angelika Szymanska in the repechage final, who precedes her by three places in the standings, thanks to a waza-ari sweep.
“
I am proud of myself (…) It feels a lot of good!
“, she breathed after receiving her medal.
Taking advantage of the absence in her category of the five-time world champion and reigning champion Clarisse Agbégnénou, in the recovery phase after maternity leave, she had obtained her qualification for these Worlds thanks to her good results this season, in particular in Big Slams.
"
She showed that she was capable of getting a world podium
," welcomed her coach in the France team Séverine Vandenhende.
“
Unfortunately she makes a small ball in half but it is her best season.
So why not for the next ones, go get the title?
»
Exempted from the first round, she had started her day with a serious fight against the modest Uzbek Sevinch Isokova before eliminating the Dutch Sanne Vermeer, bronze medalist at the last Worlds.
She then crossed the quarter-finals by immobilizing the Romanian Florentina Ivanescu.
But in the semi-finals, she did not find the solution against the world number 3, the Canadian Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard, who sent her to repechage.
“
I had been warned that she was working a lot on the ground and I remained too passive when I should have blocked or defended and unfortunately I got
tricked,” commented Manon Deketer.
Long blocked in her category by Agbégnénou, Manon Deketer is not necessarily the judoka who was most awaited during this Uzbek week.
During the European championships at the end of April, she had not been able to seize her chance, eliminated in the first round.
But after "
questioning
" and "
a lot of work
", she approached the Worlds with much more determination.
“
There hasn't always been that confidence.
She devalued herself a little while today she is clearly aware of what she is capable of doing
, ”said her coach.
“
It will be good.
On paper, among the girls, she was the one who seemed the least armed, but she showed that she was capable of beating the best.
From there to shake up the hierarchy in the less than 63 kg and obtain his ticket for the 2024 Olympics at the expense of Agbégnénou?
“
Clarisse, she has her career, I have mine and frankly I try to make my way without thinking about what is happening around
”, she assured.
"
We'll see, but I'm thinking of myself.
All the competitions, all the medals, I take them and we'll see at the end.
The native of Dunkirk brings France its second medal in these World Championships, after Amandine Buchard's bronze in -52 kg on Friday.
The day went less well for the other Frenchman hired on Sunday, Alpha Djalo.
Eliminated in the second round, he fell victim to world number 1, Georgian Tato Grigalashvili, who ended up winning the title.
Monday, Marie-Eve Gahié and Margaux Pinot (-70 kg) as well as Alexis Mathieu (-90 kg) enter the running.