The (sporting) disappointments of 2023 have been swallowed and processed. For good. Margaux Pinot, 30, is at the pinnacle of her career. The 13th-ranked player in the world, who is condemned to spectate at her home games in Paris, beat the higher-ranked (Olympic fixed starter) Marie Eve Gahie in an all-French final in Abu Dhabi and was crowned World champion. As a reminder: At the European Championships in Zagreb at the end of April, Pinot was eliminated in the singles (-70) in the first round…
“Last year was too forgettable for me in sporting terms. The only result at the highest level was the Grand Slam victory in Tel Aviv. To come back so strongly now is a huge satisfaction. It was a perfect day,” said Margaux Pinot.
The draw could hardly have been more selective: On her way to the final, she beat Sabine GERCSAK (HUN), Aoife COUGHLAN (AUS), Shiho TANAKA (JPN) and top seed Elisavet TELTSIDOU (GRE).
“The final was a judo match at the highest level. Marie Eve and I know each other inside out, we really didn’t give each other anything. This victory feels all the better for me now. I am World Championships gold medal winner and can now wear a red back number. It’s a dream come true – this is undoubtedly the best day of my career.”
She will start preparing for the Games next week with her final opponent Marie Eve Gahie and the French Olympic team. “My holiday is not planned until after the Games. Until then, I’ll act as if I’m preparing 100 per cent for the Games. We owe that to the team, to our colleagues!”
But before the preparation enters the hot phase, there is still a little time to celebrate the World Championships title in style…
Author: EJU Media