The Blues will present themselves with Clarisse Agbégnénou but without Teddy Riner at the European Judo Championships, scheduled from November 3 to 5 in Montpellier. Riner, who has not fought since obtaining an eleventh world title in May in Doha, does not appear in the selection unveiled Thursday by the French Federation. He had already skipped the Masters in early August in Budapest. Instead of the Euro, the Frenchman, who has just completed a two-week physical preparation course in Guadeloupe, might prefer to line up for a Grand Slam, richer in points for the classification for the Olympic Games.
The other headliner of the Blues, Clarisse Agbégnénou, crowned last May with a sixth world crown, will be very present in Montpellier. The Tokyo Olympic champion (-63 kg), who will aim for a fifth individual European title, remains on a bronze medal at the Budapest Masters.
In the other categories, Shirine Boukli, vice-world champion in title, was preferred to Blandine Pont in -48 kg, while in 78 kg, Romane Dicko was selected at the expense of Julia Tolofua, still embarrassed at the right shoulder. The regulations allowing to retain nine judokas for seven categories, the staff of the Blues has also decided to present two judokas in two categories. Marie-Eve Gahié and Margaux Pinot have both been selected in -70 kg, while Audrey Tcheuméo and Madeleine Malonga will be in the running in -78 kg.
On the men’s side, the surprise bronze medalist of the Tokyo Games Luka Mkheidze will defend his chances in -60 kg alongside Romain Valadier-Picard. These European championships at home will be “of paramount importance” for the Olympic selection, said the vice-president of the Federation, Frédérique Jossinet.
The list of French judokas selected for the European Championships (from November 3 to 5 in Montpellier):
. WOMEN
-48 kg: Shirine Boukli
-52 kg: Amandine Bouchard
-57 kg: Sarah-Leonie Cysique
-63 kg: Clarisse Agbégnénou
-70 kg: Marie-Eve Gahié and Margaux Pinot
-78 kg: Madeleine Malonga and Audrey Tcheuméo
78 kg: Romane Dicko
. MEN
-60 kg: Luka Mkheidze and Romain Valadier-Picard
-66 kg: Walide Khyar and Maxime Gobert
-73 kg: Joan-Benjamin Gaba
-81 kg: Alpha Boy
-90 kg: Alexis Mathieu and Maxime-Gaël Ngayap-Hambou
-100 kg: Aurélien Diesse
