Madeleine Malonga takes big step towards Paris 2024, Teddy Riner narrowly wins final in Turkey

Once during the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam in Antalya (Turkey), around noon on Sunday March 31, Madeleine Malonga pumped her fist in anger. Since then, it was virtually certain that the judoka would outperform her compatriot Audrey Cheumeo, a week earlier, at the Grand Slam in Tbilisi (Georgia). However, two French women have been fighting for months to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in the -78 kg category, the only one that does not yet have a designated French fighter. This Sunday, Malonga, a silver medalist in Tokyo in 2021, continued her advantage in the final, where she beat double European champion Elina Boehm.

The determination of the 30-year-old Frenchwoman, who is licensed at the Etoile sportif du Blanc-Menil (Seine-Saine-Denis), was evident from her first fight on Sunday morning. She won in 1 minute 24 seconds, holding off Lithuanian Miguel Julija Dudenite. In the next round, Malonga’s combativeness left thin Russian Antonina Shmeleva – entered as a neutral individual athlete – without a solution (elimination in 1 minute 45 seconds after three faults for non-combat).

Crucially in her distance battle with Tchumeo during the quarter-finals, Malonga crossed paths with Portuguese Patricia Sampaio, aged 24 and 11, respectively.^E in the world rankings. And there again, the French woman, who is 13 years old^E Spot, used his tone to send his opponent onto his back to the mat. Ippon in 45 seconds.

Revenge of Julia Tolofua

In the semifinals, Malonga eliminated Anna-Maria Wagner, 3^E World ranking in the category and a bronze medalist at the Beijing Olympics. Another German, Elina Boehm, European champion in 2022 and 2023, awaited her in the final. And here again, thanks to extreme determination, the French woman did not go into detail. His opponent was defeated in just 42 seconds.

We cannot say for sure that Malonga has definitely won the right to represent France at the next Olympics. The decision will be up to their federation. One thing is for sure, Malonga could not have done more or better to showcase his (grand) ambitions.

“I am immensely proud, because the Olympiad was very difficult, she explained to Agence France-Presse after her victory. A year ago, I knew I wouldn’t make the World Championships (Audrey Tcheumio was selected and raised the money), to get this Olympic qualification, we have to get up very early. And I got up very early, I trained very hard, I questioned myself and I fought until the end and every time it was hard. Mentally, it’s been a tough ten months, but I haven’t given up. »

Returning to the federation’s decision not to select her directly after the Paris tournament in February, where she defeated Tchumio, Malonga explained: “ It hit me so hard (…) That I said to myself “Oh yeah? Okay, don’t worry, I’ll pick myself up.” »

Julia Tolofua was not selected for the Olympic Games in +78 kg. That did not stop her from winning the Antalya Grand Slam on Sunday in her return to competition after injury and this disappointment.

After undergoing surgery on her right shoulder in September 2023, the Frenchwoman did not set foot on the tatamis in competition since losing to compatriot Roman Dikko in the final of the Budapest Masters in August of that year. Since then, it has seen Olympic bronze medalist and 2022 world champion Dicko selected for the Games in Tokyo.

Tolofua may not turn the page straight after this Sunday, but this great tournament can certainly help him. The 2023 world vice-champion made it five wins in five fights, a flawless performance without going into overtime. She defeated Su Xin of China in the final. With tears in her eyes, relieved, she pointed to her head with her finger after her victory, as if to emphasize her mental strength.

Teddy Riner in a nutshell

Teddy Riner already knows that, barring a physical problem, he will be present at the Arena Champs-de-Mars next summer. His presence in Antalya this Sunday responded to another problem: testing himself before the Games and putting himself back in the world rankings to take advantage of a theoretically less difficult table during the Olympics.

In the morning Riner defeated Azamat Chotchev of Bahrain in 52 seconds. He then dismissed 27-year-old Dutchman Jur Spijkers after Brazil’s Rafael Silva, 36, was disqualified after three penalties (Hansoku-Mack). In the semifinals, the Frenchman brought down the 24-year-old German Eric Abramov, earning Ippon a point (waza-ari) without scoring. He then won again over Hansoku-make.

In the final, in a preview of a major Olympic event this summer, the Frenchman faced 22-year-old Tatsuru Saito of Japan, the silver medalist at the worlds in 2022 and qualifier for Paris 2024. During this fight, the 34-year-old Guadeloupean will have confirmed that nothing will be easy for him during the Olympics. Riner flirted with elimination after being penalized twice, before facing his opponent with 30 seconds remaining. Once in the lead on the scoreboard, the Frenchman, Olympic champion in 2012 and 2016, managed his advantage, leaving Saitou disappointed to have come so close to victory.