In 15 days the Paris 2024 Olympic Games will officially begin. In 15 days, we will be hours away from celebrating the first of two Olympic champions at the Champ de Mars Arena. With judo being one of the most popular sport in France and Paris being the host of this Olympic Games, the combination simply creates a pitch-perfect image.
France has a rich history in judo at the Olympics with numerous successes over the years. French judoka have consistently performed at a high level, contributing significantly to the nation’s overall medal tally in the sport. David Douillet is one of the most successful French judoka. He is a two-time Olympic gold medalist (1996, 2000) and a four-time world champion. He also secured a bronze in Barcelona in 1992. His achievements have made him a prominent figure in the history of judo.
The most recent past, present and certainly a near future trend of French judo is heavily built around Teddy Riner, the man himself. The female version of Riner is certainly multiply world champion and Tokyo Olympics gold medallist, Clarisse Agbegnenou. France won the inaugural mixed team event too, a format that debuted at the Tokyo Olympics, highlighting the depth and versatility of French judo. In Tokyo, they beat the Japanese, who were home favourites at the time. The tables could be turned in Paris, where the French will be favourites on home soil and will have to deal with the pressure of the crowd and their opponents at the same time, as a final between Japan and France would not be unexpected. The opening day will be an opportunity for Shirine Boukli (-48 kg) and Luka Mkheidze (-60 kg) to put the Les Marseillais on potential repeat. The full individual squad is as follows.
| Women’s Team | Men’s Team |
| -48 kg Shirine Boukli | -60 kg Luka Mkheidze |
| -52 kg Amandine Buchard | -66 kg Walide Khyar |
| -57 kg Sarah-Leonie Cysique | -73 kg Joan-Benjamin Gaba |
| -63 kg Clarisse Agbegnenou | -81 kg Alpha Djalo |
| -70 kg Marie-Eve Gahie | -90 kg Maxime-Gael Ngayap Hambou |
| -78 kg Madeleine Malonga | -100 kg Aurelien Diesse |
| +78 kg Romane Dicko | +100 kg Teddy Riner |
France has always been one of the top countries in judo at the Olympic Games. The country has produced numerous champions and medallists, adding to its reputation as a judo powerhouse. With privilege comes pressure but the French team is ready to rise to the occasion and show the world what they are made of as they look to build on their historic successes and exploit home advantage. 15 days to go…
Read more about the history of judo in France via the following link.
Author: Szandra Szogedi