Absent from the world championships since his tenth coronation in 2017, the 34-year-old Frenchman returned to the tatami mats in Doha (Quatar) on Saturday May 13.
Then ranked 18th judoka in the world, Teddy Riner was not one of the top seeds. Nevertheless, he won in quick succession against the reigning vice-world champion, against the world number 1 and then, in the final, against the 2021 European champion, the 25-year-old Russian Inal Tasoev, who had able to participate in the competition under a neutral banner.
Forced to go through the golden score during the round of 16 and quarter-finals, the Frenchman left a lot of strength there. Indeed, if, at the end of the regulation time of five minutes, no point has been scored or if the athletes are tied, the fight continues until a point or a penalty is awarded to one of the combatants, thus giving him immediate victory.
In the final, the tricolor took over the Russian, again after a golden score. After three minutes in this additional time, Inal Tasoev even believed for a moment that he had won by waza-ari, but the referee ruled the latter invalid, leaving the fight to continue. A few seconds later, it was Teddy Riner who won on a waza-ari, validated this time.
This victory for the Frenchman is an important step on his road to the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Did you know ?
the objective of judo is to throw the opponent with both shoulders to the ground. This gives an ippon (100 points). The ippon gives the victory before the end of regulation time. An ippon can also be granted by immobilizing the opponent on the ground for 20 seconds.
Landing on one shoulder results in a waza-ari (50 points). Two waza-ari give victory. When a fighter falls on the edge of the body, we speak of yuko (1 point). On the other hand, even with twenty or fifty yukos, you never win before the end of the allotted time.
Refereeing controversy in the final
The International Judo Federation has apologized for a refereeing error which would have benefited the Frenchman during his victory in the final of the world championships over 100 kg, without modifying the result.
The action in question comes after 3 minutes in the golden score of the final, when Teddy Riner launches a hip attack (harai-goshi) that Inal Tasoev manages to counter, thus causing the Frenchman to roll on his back.
Without any hesitation, Raul Camacho, the Spanish referee, applies the rules in force since September 2022 and does not validate the action, because Inal Tasoev should have put a leg in a barrage or a hook, accompanied by an arm action. to control the movement, which the Russian did not.
Eric Liechtenauer
current n°162 – May 24 2023
2023-05-23 08:12:08
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