It was not necessarily to be expected that host nation France would be the clear leader after the first day with three gold medals and one bronze. Shirine BOUKLI (-52) and Luka MKHEIDZE (-60) had won European Championships gold medals in front of a home crowd in Montpellier in November. And now, on the first day of competition at the 50th Paris Grand Slam anniversary edition, they both picked up where they left off. With home victories, their debut ones at the Grand Slam in Paris-Bercy. “I’m relieved and proud, but not surprised. This is my fifth Grand Slam success. It was only a matter of time,” emphasised the 25-year-old Boukli. “I’ve already won bronze at the Olympics and two Grand Slam victories. This victory in front of the Paris fans is the best thing that could have happened to me before the Olympic Games in July. Now I have even more self-confidence,” commented the 28-year-old Mkheidze. Both have long been fixed starters for the Olympics.
So far, so good. France had delivered and won also a bronze medal through Sarah Leonie CYSIQUE. However, the very last fight of the day, the gold final – 57 kg, turned everything upside down. It was not enough that Faiza MOKDAR had eliminated world number 2 Jessica KLIMKAIT in the semi-final. Canadian compatriot Christa DEGUCHI, world number one and current world champion, was waiting in the duel for gold. The woman to beat.
Her opponent had nothing to equal her on paper: Faiza Mokdar has only just turned 22. She will only be a spectator at the Olympic Games in 174 days’ time. She is currently only ranked 71st in the world rankings. Only insiders have known the three-time European junior champion until now. She has already appeared twice at Grand Slam tournaments. But otherwise she has mainly competed in junior or second-tier senior tournaments. So much for the facts.
53 seconds later, the judo world was upside down. Faiza Mokdar had surprised the number one with a flawless ippon. Still lying down, she clenched her fist and smiled. The local heroine struggled a little more during the subsequent interview marathon. “My plan was not to let Christa attack on the left and I succeeded,” said Faiza. “Judo is my profession and I’m a hard worker. That’s the only way you make it to the top. It’s unbelievable that my first Grand Slam victory came so quickly. It certainly helped that I got through to the first round against Hasret Bozkurt, who I had lost to in Belgrade in the Champions League. If anything spurred me on today, it was this rematch, after that it went like clockwork.”
Spectators should make a note of the name Faiza Mokdar. She is still only France’s No. 4 in the – 57 kg category. At the Paris 2024 Games she will only be sitting in the spectator area. But the advance of the No. 71 in the IJF ranking is pre-programmed. Nobody will doubt that from today…
FACTS & FIGURES:
- Faiza MOKDAR was born in Massy and joined the Brétigny-sur-Orge youth academy via the Chilly-Mazarin club. She has been playing for Paris Saint Germain since September 2018. In 2023, the 22-year-old won the Champions League in Zagreb with the PSG women (including Romane Dicko).
- In 2018, she achieved her first historic success – with the French title hat-trick (youth, juniors, seniors).
- She is still eligible to compete at under-23 level. Previous junior titles: European Youth Champion 2017, 3-time European Junior Champion (2018 – 2020), Junior Mixed Team World Champion with France, Junior World Championship bronze medallist 2021, 2021 she was also No. 1 in the junior world rankings.
- Faiza Mokdar first attracted international attention in the seniors category in 2021 – with a third place at the Grand Slam in Abu Dhabi, and in 2022 she won bronze again at the Grand Slam in Tel Aviv. She has been a home Grand Slam winner since Friday.
- Olympic bronze medallist and three-time European champion Automne PAVIA acts as her national team coach.
Author: EJU Media