Not selected for the European Judo Championships, the Frenchwoman Blandine Pont spoke on social networks on Tuesday to challenge this decision and the way she learned about it. “Thinking about it objectively, a question haunts me: how is it possible that I am left out of the European Championships by being in 2023, one of the most successful athletes of the French team?” -she on Instagram.
The French Judo Federation indeed unveiled last Thursday the list of judokas selected for the Euro (November 3-5), in which does not appear Blandine Pont, who was however the revelation of the year in the category of – 48kg. The Frenchwoman, currently 4th in the world in her category, won three gold medals in Grand Slam in 2023, won 18 out of 21 fights, and was ranked 5th in the last World Championships. “So what are the objective criteria for selecting athletes for these European Championships?” she asks.
While seven categories are represented at the European Championships, each nation has the possibility of selecting nine judokas and therefore of presenting two athletes in certain weight categories. This will be the case in -70 kg (Marie-Eve Gahié and Margaux Pinot) and in -78 kg (Audrey Tcheuméo and Madeleine Malonga), but not in -48 kg, where only Shirine Boukli, 2nd world and vice-champion of the world champion, was selected for the competition, an important step for the Olympic selection. “I therefore see myself today deprived of being able to express myself on these European championships, and this, not without consequence on the race for the Olympic Games in Paris”, she continues.
The judoka also regrets the way in which she learned of her non-selection, “around a car park during a course, during an improvised oral communication (…) just after the publication of the selection on the social media.” “So what about respect? What about consideration for the human behind the athlete?” she asks. Other judokas not selected for the competition, Benjamin Axus (-73 kg) or Axel Clerget (-90 kg), have also expressed their disappointment in recent days.
“Obviously no explanation for changing”, the first lamented, before adding: “I was informed of my non-selection for the European Championships on Instagram… First, the misunderstanding: it seems that it is fundamentally unprofessional and disrespectful to announce such news in this way when we know the work that we, judokas, provide to be selected on such competitions.
The second, Olympic team champion in Tokyo, said he learned of the decision “by reading L’Équipe. We are making significant sacrifices (personal, family) putting our bodies and minds to the test to represent our sport, our federation and our country at the best level and I think we all deserve a little more consideration before an official broadcast. I do not recognize the values instilled by our beautiful sport. I allow myself to talk about it here because it is not the first time that this has happened and I am not an isolated case… Many athletes suffer this treatment of disfavor and it should no longer be tolerated.