Teddy Riner, or the story of a train that arrives on time. A TGV even, which doesn’t happen that often in reality. At the Antalya Grand Slam, possibly his last (or penultimate) competition before the Olympic Games in Paris next summer, the Frenchman did not procrastinate to reach the final.
For the third time in a row during this tournament, the three-time Olympic champion won the penalty game. It must be said that his opponent, the German Erik Abramov, never attempted anything during the approximately three minutes that the fight lasted. After achieving a nice waza-ari, Teddy Riner imposed his power while waiting, calmly, for the sanctions to fall. In the final, the Frenchman will face a major test against the Japanese Tatsuru Saito, one of his main rivals with a view to Paris 2024.