Sunday May 1, 2022 – Sofia (Bulgaria)
-78kg, +78g F et -90kg, -100kg et +100kg M
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1:00 p.m. +100kg: Spijkers surprises Tushishvili, Frey unstoppable
Facing Georgian favorite Guram Tushishvili, Dutchman Juur Spijkers, 25, winner of the Zagreb Grand Prix in September 2021 and 3rd in Paris last October, waited for the opportunity. And on an unprepared and unbalanced attack from the vice Olympic champion, the Batavian placed a subtle but clear sumi-otoshi which tackled Tushishvili on the back and made him tap his finger on the tatami.
In the final, he will find the German Johannes Frey, who fell Joseph Terhec but also the Hungarian Richard Sipocz on an o-soto-gari on the right in recovery of guard. A semi-final smoothly led by the German.
12:30 p.m. +78kg: Dicko for a third crown
Never worry Romane Dicko knew how to take his time to unroll the Turkish Sibile Akbulut in makikomi before immobilizing her immediately for the victory. Very interesting final against the Israeli Raz Hershko, also very easy since this morning. The French lead 1 to 0 (it was in Tokyo during the Olympics).
12:15 p.m. -78kg: Malonga will seek bronze
How hard it was. Two shidos everywhere between Madeleine Malonga and Natalie Powell the Briton in this repechage fight. More impactful than since the start of the day, the French was however countered by the one who had finished third at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam at the end of 2021, on ura-nage. Led, the French then put a hell of pressure on Powell who retreated, left the yellow surface and was given a third shido. Far from its optimal level, “Mado” will still seek bronze.
A medal that she could already have won since Patricia Sampaio seems to have injured her upper body (ribs?) during her semi-final against the German Alina Boehm.
12:10 p.m. The reaction of Shirine Boukli (-48kg, FLAM 91) after her title of European champion
12:05 p.m. -78kg: the semi-finals of the day
Alice BELLANDI (ITA) / Alina BOEHM (GER)
Patricia SAMPAIO (POR)/Guusje STEENHUIS (NED)
12:00 p.m. +78kg. Today’s semi-finals
Romane DICKO (FRA) / Sebile AKBULUT (TUR)
Asya TAVANO (ITA)/Raz HERSHKO (ISR)
11:30 a.m. Dicko in the semi-finals, NGayap and Mathieu get stuck
It only took him two streaks to overcome the modest Polish Kinga Wolszczak, third at the European Open in Warsaw at the end of February and never medalist in either the Grand Prix or the Grand Slam. A ko-uchi-gari put his opponent on the edge, before Romane Dicko followed in yoko-shiho-gatame for the account. In the semi-final, the double European champion (2018 and 2020) will find the Turkish Sebile Akbulut, 83e world champion and winner of a Grand Prix in 2018. And since then? A bronze medal at the European Open in Bosnia and Herzegovina earlier this year. Not enough to normally slow down the road of the PSG Judo judoka towards the final.
In -90kg, Alexis Mathieu immediately suffered the ipon-seoi-nage to the left of the Greek Tselidis. A movement that rolled the Tricolor on the buttocks. Waza-ari. There followed three and a half minutes where the Hellenic kept attacking, in a disorderly way, sometimes on the verge of a false attack but often without being able to be penalised. It was even Mathieu who collected two shidos without finding the solution to come back.
At the same time, Maxime NGayap Hambou was surprised from the start by the Romanian Cret who placed an o-soto-gari / nidan ko-soto-gake which put the 2021 world junior medalist on the tip of the shoulder.
Managing to keep the distance well, without fearing the close combat, Cret left no opportunity for the Frenchman who was trying to find the solution with his ko-uchi-gari in ken-ken.
Time was ticking. The Asniérois judo did not let go but did not find the solution. Shame.
11:15 a.m. -78kg: Malonga trapped by Bellandi
From the very first seconds, the tactic of the Italian Alice Bellandi, who had risen in class after Tokyo and was already very successful (2nd at the Portuguese Grand Prix, 3rd at the Tel Aviv Grand Slam) appeared clear: multiply the attacks from below counting on an arbitration that has become totally uninhibited to penalize without measure or relevance. Bingo! Seeking to mount her right hand to build a strong streak, the French will never have the opportunity, the Transalpine multiplying the attacks in seoi-nage without any preparation. Some a bit dangerous, but a very large majority without the intention of looking for the mark. Failing to find the solution in the face of a tactic, further facilitated by a referee quick to draw the shidos at the wrong time, the Frenchwoman was penalized a third time for non-combativeness. Head to the repechages for the 2019 world champion.
Another n°1 to lose, the exhilarating Portuguese Jorge Fonseca, world champion of -100kg, beaten on a yoko-guruma of the Polish Kuczera on the edge. Big surprise.
10:50 a.m. The reaction of Cédric Revol (-60kg, ESBM Judo) after his bronze medal on Friday.
10:45 a.m. +100kg: Terhec eliminated
Almost always preceded by the German Johannes Frey (33e world and 3e at the Grand Slam of Kazan in 2021), Joseph Terhec saw the penalties go up to the hansokumake. More mobile, dangerous especially on a tai-otoshi on the fly, the judoka from across the Rhine did not let the Habs take things in hand, multiplying the attacks without preparation. The center referee finishes the job by giving the last two penalties to the Frenchman for non-combativity twenty seconds apart. Arbitration zeal in all its limits. Among the men, there are therefore only the -90kg in the race.
10:30 a.m. -90kg: Mathieu and NGayap in eighth
Entry into the running of Alexis Mathieu against the Slovak Milan Randl. A regular on the circuit (35), whose last convincing result dates back to a fifth place at the Tel Aviv Grand Slam last year.
Managing his opponent and the fight well, the Frenchman, twice fifth at the Grand Slams of Paris 2021 and 2022 placed a well-felt kata-guruma counted waza-ari. Two sequences later, the Slovak came out of the box and collected his third shido. In eighth Mathieu will meet the Greek Tselidis, third in Europe in…2018.
On mat n°2 Maxime NGayap performs well, beating the Dutchman Noel Van T End, countering the Batavian to tackle him on his back following an attempt at standing sode-tsuri-komi-goshi.
Without any complex, very embarrassing with his albatross extension, the judoka from AM Asnières goes there, without asking any questions. And it works ! In eighth it is the Romanian Alex Cret, vice European junior champion 2020 and third in the Portuguese Grand Prix at the end of January that the Habs will have to dominate.
On the favorite side, the Georgian Guram Tushishvili, vice Olympic champion of +100kg had all the trouble in the world to beat the young German Losseni Kone. We had to wait for the golden score and sode-tsuri-komi-goshi perfectly placed.
09:35. +78kg: Lucid Dicko
Well done Roman. While on the first sequence of the fight the Czech Marketa Paulusova placed a very pretty yoko-guruma on the French Olympic bronze medalist, Romane Dicko did not panic, kept the left arm of the Czech to immobilize it for the count. An express victory which already sends him to the quarter-finals.
09:30. Malonga continues, Olivar stops there
Double European champion (2018 and 2020), Madeleine Malonga wants to do the treble. It already went through a victory over the very young Ukrainian Yelyzaveta Lytvynenko: junior 1re year, new in the category (she was junior European champion last year in -70kg) showed no inhibitions against the French Olympic vice champion. Same size, same reach for the two fighters. But still on the front, dangerous with his attempts at uchi-mata, more aggressive with the kumikata Malonga put constant pressure on Lytvynenko. If the French did not find the waza-ari, the penalties rose imperceptibly. Penalized twice for her laterality, the Ukrainian took a third fatal shido. Entry into serious matters for Malonga.
On mat n°2, Cédric Olivar found the very experienced Azerbaijani Elmar Gasimov (31 years old and 2016 Olympic vice champion). If the start of the fight was rather to the advantage of the French, the Azerbaijani, seventh in Europe last year, on a push from Olivar, turned his back very quickly on a minimalist makikomi but which blocked the right wrist of the Habs and which unrolled the latter on the back.
09:10. -90kg: NGayap, it’s ok
World junior medalist 2021, Maxime NGayap knew just a few days ago that he would be traveling to Sofia following Nicolas Chilard’s package. First in action today for the blue-white-red clan, his attempts at sumi-gaeshi will finally get the better of Wachid Borchashvili, 23 and 47e worldwide, after thirteen seconds at the golden score. In the next round, the level will rise several notches with the Dutchman Noel Van T End, 2019 world champion and seventh at the Olympics.
9:00 a.m. Start of this third day
As a reminder, France leads the dance with six medals including the titles of Shirine Boukli (-48kg) and Marie-Ève Gahié yesterday (-70kg).
This Sunday six Tricolores entered: Madeleine Malonga (-78kg, ESBM Judo), Romane Dicko (+78kg, PSG Judo), Alexis Mathieu (-90kg, Sucy Judo), Maxime NGayap Hambou (-90kg, AM Asnières), Cédric Olivar ( -100kg, SGS Judo) and Joseph Terhec (+100kg, ARAM Judo).
It is Maxime NGayap who will open the ball from 9 a.m. on carpet n°2.
