In the absence of the gold she was aiming for, the French Olympic champion Clarisse Agbégnénou (-63 kg) won the bronze medal on Saturday at the World Masters in Budapest, the second most important competition of the year after the Worlds. One year before the Olympic Games and three months after becoming world champion for the sixth time, Clarisse Agbégnénou dominated the Czech Renata Zachova by ippon to secure a podium.
In the semi-final, she had lost against the Japanese Miku Takaichi, who could be the Japanese competitor at the Games and who was beaten in turn in the final by the Kosovare Laura Fazliu.
After giving birth to a daughter in June 2022, Agbégnénou impressed in May in Doha. This time, the double vice-world champion Takaichi (29 years old) blocked her way to gold. The Japanese had not beaten the native of Rennes since 2017, who was dominated by ippon, on an armbar, after nine minutes of fierce fighting (five in addition to regulation time).
Agbégnénou (30) had already had to scrap to climb into the half. First against the solid Portuguese Barbara Timo, eliminated after three penalties in overtime. Then against another Japanese, Nami Nabekura, on waza-ari, in the quarter-finals and again at the Golden score. The other two Blues in the running on Saturday were eliminated: the 2020 European champion Margaux Pinot (-70 kg) in the second round and Benjamin Axus (-73 kg) at the start.