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It hasn’t been all plain sailing for France’s Clarice Agbenune, who has already won the Paris Grand Slam six times. She was aiming for her seventh title to match that of Bercy favorite Lucie Ducosse. She has faced her surprise final opponent, Catalina Cristo (CRO), only once to date, in the first round of the 2023 European Championships. It may not have been Montpellier for her that day, but it was a much more straightforward contest for her. French superstar.
Today, Agbegnenowu had regained her strength and was just trying to get the gold medal in front of this huge crowd and her family, but she endured a grueling gold score over 12 minutes against Megumi Horikawa (Japan) in the preliminary round all day long. And in the final, heading to two minuet marks with a golden score, each with two cides, the suspense began to build. clinch. Both the spectators and Christo suspected that he was uranage, but he managed to change direction and initially aimed for the leg with his castor and missed the attack, but the movement continued and he was able to score the winning point!
I can only thank this audience. They pushed me. Please come back in July and push me again! I’m ready, but there’s still six months left!
This is Agbegnenow’s seventh title here, but the first Grand Slam medal for Cristo, the 2021 Junior European Champion.
In the -73kg class, there was an unbelievable development, with no big names or “expected” players in the final, instead unranked Itsuki Ishihara (JPN) and WRL #179 Giorgi CHIKHELIDZE (GEO). Participated. Anybody’s day. If you need an example, this is it. Ishihara scored the first goal with a powerful kick, Chikelidze did not give him any space, but he was unable to match his opponents and in the end settled for silver at the Paris Grand Slam.
After Agbegnou’s success, Margaux Pinot was forced to take bronze in the -70kg category against Thaïs Pina (POR), and it was up to Marie-Yves Gahier (France) to continue her streak. Both Gahi and her opponent Miriam Butkareit (Germany) desperately needed this win, and as both were capable pitchers, it was only a matter of time before they saw big action, but the home crowd It ended in disappointment for me.
Butkarite has been plagued by the curse of silver to this day, finishing as Grand Slam runner-up five times, but today was an undisputed victory from the German athlete, with the beautiful O Soto Maki Komi He stole the show and won his first title. Gahi won his second consecutive silver medal at this tournament, but Paris’ story is not over yet.
Rounding out the second day was a male athlete weighing -81kg. Matthias Casse (BEL) and Zelim TCKAEV (AZE). The former won the title here in 2020, contributing to his four-title collection, while Tokayev won the title for the first time in Baku last year, but quickly won two bronze medals in Abu Dhabi and Tokyo. The Azerbaijani athlete ranks 12th in the WRL and, incredibly, is the country’s second player in this category after Olympic medalist Saeed Mollaei. Casse looked more confident right out of the gate, but Tokaev threatened with his footwork as well as his attempts to wrap him up. Casse gave himself time to re-evaluate himself and find a new game plan, but all the while Tokayev continued to attack and the Azerbaijani athlete held his own number, including almost countering a shoulder throw attack. It really felt like it was happening.
A golden score isn’t always what fans want, but in this case, and previously with Casse, most didn’t want this contest to end. Casse ended the day winning back the Paris Grand Slam title with a stunning Wheeling Sasae catch, a real crowd pleaser.
judoka
Author: Thea Cowen
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