photo: judoinside.com
PARIS - At the end of a historic day, the 35-year-old French judoka won his third individual title and his fourth, counting the team gold in 2021. As he has done for more than 15 years, Teddy Riner crushed his opponents. Amazing performance and amazing longevity.
And Champs-de-Mars exploded with happiness. Teddy Riner had just sent South Korea's Minjong Kim to the floor with a masterful tackle, then got to his feet and waved "3". A third individual Olympic title, to which must be added the 2021 team title (and two bronze medals), makes Teddy Riner the most successful Frenchman in Olympic history (along with fencers Lucien Gaudin and Christian d'Oriola, and possibly Léon Marchand as late as this Friday night). And undoubtedly the greatest judoka of all time.
A sacred monster that at 35 years old still has no competition in the over 100 kg category. His victory will go down as one of the great moments of these Games, which he and Marie-José Pérez opened on 26 July by lighting the cauldron. In an arena that was particularly crowded with French supporters compared to the following days, the spectators went all out and enjoyed an afternoon masterfully commanded by their hero. Two ippons in the semi-final and final to show who was the boss.
It wasn't a foregone conclusion
Before that, however, the crowd held its breath during a tense morning, in a first game during which Teddy Riner appeared cautious, fearing a counterattack and a defeat that would be cataclysmic. Then came the second match against Georgian Guram Tushishvili, who first steadied him and then illegally pushed him back with a punch just after the Frenchman's ippon - the Georgian was eliminated from the rest of the competition.
This historic day could have been even better, but Romane Dicko had to settle for a bronze medal in the over 78 kg category, losing in the semi-finals to Brazil's Beatriz Souza - the future Olympic champion - despite being a huge favourite. Disappointment despite the medal: a good summary of the week in judo at the Champs-de-Mars arena. The French team performed some great stunts and won a record 9 medals, but several favourites fell short of the title. Only boss Teddy Riner managed to do it.
The French judo player's density should allow him to reach the final of the team tournament tomorrow. He is eagerly awaiting the final match against Japan, whom Les Bleus beat on home soil in Tokyo in 2021. Teddy Riner could become France's only five-time Olympic champion.
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