The 25-year-old Frenchwoman dominated the Dutch Sanne Van Dijke, defending champion, in the final in Sofia.
Frenchwoman Marie-Eve Gahié, 25, became European judo champion in the under 70 kg category by beating Dutchman Sanne Van Dijke, defending champion, in the final on Saturday in Sofia. Gahié, world champion in 2019, wins the first European title of her career after winning bronze in 2017 and 2020. She brings France its second European crown during these championships, after Shirine Boukli crowned Friday in the under 48 kg.
Facing Van Dijke, who led 5-1 in their head-to-head, Gahié took the upper hand with a waza-ari from the first minute. She then managed to control her opponent’s power, but got very scared by being surprised at the very end of the fight when the Dutch initiated a last attack just beyond regulation time.
Six medals and two titles for the French in Sofia
On the way to the final, Gahié had dominated the Italian Irene Pedrotti, then the Ukrainian Nataliia Chystiakova. In the quarter-finals, she bent her compatriot Margaux Pinot on penalties in the Golden Score. She had beaten another Dutchwoman, Hilde Jager, in the semi-finals. Before the last day of competition, France has six medals including two titles.