The World Judo Championships in Doha are off to a pretty good start for the France team, with already three medals to their name. On Sunday, it was Shirine Boukli who led the way by going for silver, losing only to Natsumi Tsunoda in the final. On Monday, two of the three Frenchmen also took the podium.
Amandine Buchard is a regular in third place in the world. Already a bronze medalist in 2014, 2018 and 2022, she will leave with the same charm this year. At this tournament, in the under 52 kg category, the Olympic vice-champion first easily dismissed the American Angelica Delgado and the Azerbaijani Gultaj Mammadaliyeva before giving up a few seconds from the end of her quarterfinal against the Japanese Uta Abe, future gold medalist. The Frenchwoman was nevertheless able to rally and beat the Korean Jang Seyun before toppling the Hungarian Reka Pupp to make a place on the podium.
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Walide Khyar had a different course in the under 66 kg category. Invincible in his first three fights, despite two victories at the Golden Score, the Frenchman was totally helpless in the semi-final against Japan's Hifumi Abe, world champion and reigning Olympic champion, who placed an ippon on him after only 33 seconds.
This defeat did not prevent Khyar from reviving the fight for third place, in which he perfectly overpowered the Korean An Baul. In the same category, Daikii Bouba lost in the second round to Azerbaijan's Orkhan Safarov.
On Tuesday, Sarah-Léonie Cysique and Joan-Benjamin Gaba will enter the tatami to try to bring new medals to the French delegation, respectively in less than 73 kg and 57 kg.
