Judo at the 2024 Olympics: Teddy Riner’s speech against the Blues, anticipated celebration by the Japanese… Behind the scenes of the team event final
Three years ago, the Blues achieved the ultimate affront. Beating the Japanese in Tokyo, in the temple of judo, during the first mixed team event in the Olympic history of this discipline. Saturday, August 3, it was time for revenge. Above the fray, the French team and its Japanese counterpart crossed the obstacles to the final without a hitch.
Mischievous and a joker in public, Teddy Riner this time puts on his leader’s costume backstage before the final and delivers a powerful speech after having gathered all the members of the team.It gave me chills. I’m not a competitor anymore, but I almost wanted to get on the mat to fight.“, explains Stéphane Frémont, head of the optimization unit at the French Judo Federation and who has been supporting the Blues since the start of their preparation last October. The words are strong, like the charismatic boss. “He told them that they had to be ready to die on the tatami“.
Within the team, Clarisse Agbégnénou makes her return. At 31 years old, the Frenchwoman no longer has the stamina to fight in a row and has been saved for the final. A tactical choice that paid off since she will meet Miku Takaichi who fights in the same category as her, in -63 kg, during the 6th rotation.
But we still have to get there. The start of the final is a nightmare. Maxime-Gaël Ngayap Hambou and then Romane Dicko fall one after the other. If Teddy Riner reduces the score, Sarah-Léonie Cysique is no match for Natsumi Tsunoda. It is Stéphane Frémont’s protégé, one of the members of the Special Forces, Joan-Benjamin Gaba, who must allow the Blues to stay alive.The Japanese are sure they will cartridge him“, explains the 54-year-old coach. But the native of Sèvres is sure of himself.”He just said to me, ‘Don’t worry, I know what I have to do.’“
Facing him, the mountain Hifumi Abe has something to be afraid of. Double Olympic champion in title, the Japanese is largely favorite. In the warm-up room next to the Arena, the Japanese are euphoric, sure of their final victory.They started to wave, they were so happy that Abe was going to fall to Gaba.“, laughs Frémont before continuing.”I told them they didn’t know who their compatriot was up against. I trust “Jo”. You know, it’s at the end of the market that we count the turds.“
