Judoka Alpha Djalo came to Turkey to prepare for the Olympic Games (from July 26 to August 11), where he will represent France in the − 81 kg category. He leaves empty, prey to ” doubt “ four months from the deadline, eliminated, Saturday March 30, in the first round of the Antalya Grand Slam.
The world number 18 lost on ippon against the Bulgarian Georgi Gramatikov, 50eafter only 1 min 16 s of combat. “I’m leaving as I came, it’s a non-match, there’s nothing to learn from it. I traveled, I got ready and I came for nothing”cursed the judoka, ” irritated “ as much by its defeat as by its course.
Surprised after a slip, the Frenchman was thrown to the ground by his opponent. Or rather go to the ground, because the attack was not blatant – the referee had also first put waza-ari. “I’m on the ground, [mon adversaire] Knees me. The referee asks the table [d’arbitrage vidéo] to verify. But they don’t look at the knee and say “ippon”. I don’t know how they can put ippon on stuff like that.”lamented Alpha Djalo.
“Take a box OK, it’s judo. But this is not correct. I’m not victimizing myself but now it disgusts me a little, I’m upset”he explains. “And even cold, it will disgust me too because it’s ugly. It’s not the spirit. »
“I’ve been in the first rounds for three competitions”
Bronze medalist at the European Championships in November 2023, in Montpellier, the 27-year-old judoka had already suffered a defeat in the first round at the Grand Slam in Paris at the beginning of February. Not a good omen as the Olympic deadline approaches. “I’ve been in the first rounds for three competitions, so yes, there’s some doubt”he said, bitterly.
At the moment, the person concerned does not want to plan for a new competition in the hope of turning the page and regaining a little confidence before the Games. On the contrary, “we are not far from disgust”, he says fatalistically. Is it the pressure that paralyzes him, he who had failed to qualify for Tokyo? “No, I have no pressurehe swept away. I’ve been preparing for the Olympic Games for seven years, I’m finally going to do them. »
When taking stock, Alpha Djalo however recognizes that since his continental podium and his selection for Paris 2024, he has “hard to get back up”and to this day, he has still not found ” the solution “.