“I haven’t gotten over it. » Julia Tolofua can’t believe it. Guest on RMC this Saturday, the +78kg world vice-champion expressed her incomprehension about her absence for the Olympic Games. The judoka lost her place to Romane Dicko, her competitor and friend. The first 10 selected blues for Paris 2024 were announced this Friday by the French Judo Federation.
“I was shocked when I learned about the selection. I intend to discuss with those who made the decision to prefer my competitor and my friend. It’s really, really not easy when you tell yourself that you’ve been working since 2021 and the end of the last Olympics to be there, that you come back from each competition with a medal and that you’re only told five minutes before he announcement that we will not be at the Olympic Games… It’s very, very hard. »
Julia Tolofua also said she received a message from Romane Dicko apologizing for her selection even though she had not yet received the announcement of her non-selection.
“We take it like we’re shit”
Julia Tolofua on her non-selection
Beyond her disappointment, the athlete was also perplexed by the timing of the announcement, believing that it would come later. “My competitor and I were convinced that our place would be decided at the Grand Slam in Paris in February. (…) They didn’t give me a chance. »
The world champion also addressed her injury: “I feel betrayed because I announced my operation in August. They told me that there was no problem, that Romane would do the European Championships… I told them that my goal was not these European Championships but the Olympic Games, to be at 100 % at this moment. I gave them all the arguments. »
Very moved, the athlete also accused her Federation of having made its decision in an inflexible manner. “It seems like they’ve already decided. They already know who they want to put and they do what they want. It’s not a communication problem. It’s too easy an excuse, they have all the means to do it. We feel like pawns, no matter how much we fight, but for them it’s already decided. We take it like we’re shit, sorry for the expression. It really hurts. »
