Gonzalo Fuentes / Reuters
After her defeat in the repechage (-78 kg), the French judoka refused to shake the hand of her opponent, Madeleine Malonga. Attitude attached to arbitration.
The clash between Audrey Tchumeo and Madeleine Malonga took place this Sunday at the Accor Arena. Not in the semi-finals, as the Paris crowd had hoped, but during the repechage in the under 78kg category. A fight that hardly caused any spark, apart from its aftermath…
Indeed, in a very strategic encounter, without any real attack, everything came down to a deluge of more or less fair penalties. With each of the two protagonists cautioned twice, the fight was changed after a video review led the referee to impose a third ban on Tcheuméo in total disqualification. And then who made the mistake of refusing to shake hands with his adversary and compatriot. She responded with a thumbs-up as a sign of ironic congratulations.
A trend that Audrey Tcheumeau was keen to explain: “Especially the referee’s decisions irritated me. I have been with the French team for 20 years and I have never had this kind of behavior. It’s my first mistake, but it has nothing to do with it (Malonga). It’s just the refereeing that lets me down. “ That, and her loss in the previous round to Dutch Gusje Steenhuis during the Golden Score, where she felt it was better to: “My depression also came from my previous fight. When I watch it again on video, I think I will understand better… I waited too long for Shido (penalty)I was not released even though I was physically healthy.
Whether the reigning world runner-up – and world champion in 2011 – had too much pressure on her at this Paris Grand Slam, she chose to enter: “I wanted to do my own thing without putting too much pressure on myself but that’s okay, it’s not a concern. If I were physically down… I should be able to free myself. We now have to see if this success for Malonga can prove decisive in the race for Olympic qualification in this category. Even as Audrey Chumeo told herself “no worries” After his defeat, believing that his 2023 season, which saw him ranked 3rd in the world in his category, cannot be wiped out in one fell swoop.
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