Sunday November 5, spectators at the Sud de France Arena in Montpellier will not have the joy of witnessing Teddy Riner’s quest for a sixth European title: the French judoka has decided to skip the continental championships . They will also not have the pleasure of encouraging one of their compatriots in the over 100 kilos: no French fighter appears in the table of the premier category.
The French men’s team, like the other national delegations, had a quota of nine representatives to distribute among the seven weight classes. The management of the Blues thus preferred to double the number of participants among the − 60 kilos, − 66 kilos and − 90 kilos. “It is estimated that there was no athlete who had his place in +100 kilos compared to others who had results in different categories”, summarizes the deputy national technical director in charge of high level and performance. And Bastien Puget insists: “In front of a judoka like Joseph Terhec [48e au classement mondial], there are boys who have won Grand Slams and qualified for the Masters. »
Responsible for the French men’s teams, Baptiste Leroy admits to having no qualms about making such a selection. “It happens that to put a judoka who has a better chance of medals, we don’t take anyone into a category. This was the case during the last world championships in − 100 kilos. Judokas can try their hand at other competitions rather than throwing them into a European Championship where we know it’s not going to go very well. »
Concern after Douillet’s retirement
Teddy Riner, 34 years old and present on the senior circuit since the age of 17, will not push the physiological limits of such a demanding sport for years to come. We must therefore think about the aftermath, when the emblematic champion will have definitively put his kimono in the locker room. In the 2000s, French judo had already been faced with this situation when David Douillet, another heavyweight king, retired after his second Olympic coronation in 2000. “I was an athlete [à l’époque] and I remember that there was clearly this fear of “after David”remembers Frédérique Jossinet, vice-president of the French Judo Federation (FFJDA). We didn’t have to wait long…”
In 2007, the young Teddy Riner won his first European title. But, before its advent, the +100 kilo category had taken advantage of the absence of an overwhelming leader to offer a good density of fighters. “The period between Douillet and Riner was marked by a higher homogeneous level with Pierre Robin, world medalist, and others like Matthieu Bataille or Frédéric Lecanu”recalls Baptiste Leroy.
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