A few months before the Olympic Games in Paris, French judo hit hard during the 50th edition of the Paris Grand Slam, which began this Friday at the AccorHotels Arena in Bercy.
During this Parisian tournament, French judo shone with three gold medals won by Shirine Boukli, Luka Mkheidze and Faiza Mokdar.
Starting with Luka Mkheidze, who got the ball rolling by winning the gold medal in the under 60kg category; a fantastic victory for the Frenchman, who won at home thanks to penalties. He delighted the French audience with his performance.
The Frenchman, Luka Mkheidze spoke after receiving his medal:
“I am very happy because I have never won the Paris tournament. This year is a big celebration because it is the 50th edition of the Paris Grand Slam and I am happy to mark the occasion“, did he declare.
Sandor Csanyi, partner of the International Judo Federation and president of OTP Bank, presented the medals for this category.
French judokas excelled
And, then in the women’s category of less than 48kg, the Frenchwoman Shirine Boukli won the first title of her career. The judokate, 2023 world vice-champion, impressed during the first rounds, beating the Japanese Koga Wakana in the final thanks to a perfectly executed immobilization.
Shirine Boukli was very encouraged by her supporters who came in large numbers to support her, she also declared:
“It’s special because you have more energy with the crowd, when it’s a tough fight like that you need a little bit more to push yourself, and yeah, that’s what I needed today to win like this“. The medals in the under 48kg category were presented by the former President of Montenegro Milo Đukanović.
In the under 57kg category, the French Faiza Mokdar created a surprise by also winning her first gold medal at the Paris Slam 2024 at home. The 22-year-old judoka won in the first minute by ippon, surprising double world champion Christa Deguchi. The medal presentation was made by IFJ General Secretary Lisa Allan.
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International judokas also shone
The international judokas also did not stand out in the women’s under 52kg category, Distria Krasniqi, Olympic champion in -48kg, had to face the British Chelsie Giles. The Kosovar earned a waza-ari to win her third gold medal in Paris. In this category, it was the vice-president of the IJF, Laszlo Toth, who presented the medals
In the men’s under 66kg category, newcomer Takeshi Takeoka beat veteran Joshiro Maruyama in Golden Score with a waza-ari. An impressive victory. Nasser Al Tamimi, general treasurer of the IFJ, who presented the medals.
Throughout this first day, the French judokas offered a breathtaking spectacle during this grand slam by winning three gold medals, French judo still promises great surprises, to be followed tomorrow. The Grand Slam of Paris is organized from February 2 to 4, 2024.
2024-02-03 00:30:37
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