in parajudo, Sandrine Martinet is satisfied with silver in the -48kg – Libération

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In her career, Sandrine Martinet has seen it all. Victory, defeat, injury, motherhood, stopping, coming back, amateurism, professionalization… The French parajudoka has gone through everything that makes the life of a high-level athlete so exciting. At 41, the flag bearer of the Blues in Tokyo is experiencing her sixth Paralympiad in Paris, she who was already on the tatamis in Athens during the introduction of the women’s categories in parajudo. After Japan in 2021, and yet another Paralympic silver medal – the third of her career – she decided to stop. High-level sport was over for her, too many sacrifices, particularly financial, and time spent away from her two children.

But in 2022, a contract signed with the “army of champions” (entered into with the Ministry of the Armed Forces) allows him to put his physiotherapy activity on hold to devote himself solely to training: “For the first time in my life, I can finally say that I live at a high level,” she said to Libé a year before the Games. This Thursday, September 5, in front of her family, her children, her husband but also the thousands of supporters who did not stop screaming her name during the final, the PSG judo licensee ended the day in silver after losing against the invincible Kazakhstani Akmaral Nauatbek at the end of the afternoon. Again this feeling of unfinished business for the one who had her only coronation in Rio in 2016, and now has four lost finals.

“Black beast”

Entering the competition directly in the quarter-final, she was quick against the German Isabell Thal, spending less than a minute on the tatami. We found her in the half at the end of the morning against the Chinese Li Liqing, already crossed and beaten in the budokan Tokyoite. After six seconds of fighting, she took a waza-ari and found himself with his back against the wall. Often brought to the ground, the Frenchwoman attacked her rival to finally counter an attack standing up in order to equalize before the bell. At the end of an unbearable golden score, the referee validated a counter-attack and declared it a winner. Smiling from ear to ear, she was already enjoying this confident charm in front of a screaming audience.

A few minutes later, however, it was with a closed face that we saw her passing through the mixed zone without stopping. The national technical director of parajudo, Antoine Hays: “It went back like a clock. Now there’s the Kazakh, she’s her pet peeve, she’s never beaten her.” Judoka since childhood, Akmaral Nauatbek turned to parajudo in 2022 due to an eye disease. The native of Baku already represented her country in international competitions as a junior among the able-bodied. Joined the para circuit after Tokyo, she flew directly over the competition to land as world number 1 and reigning world champion in Paris. A mountain to climb for Martinet.

“As long as my body holds up, I’ll push it a little”

6:20 p.m.: the two women finally enter the charged arena. Martinet begins her fight amidst a hell of a noise, quickly calmed by the domination of the Kazakhstani – we weren’t lied to. The Frenchwoman in blue judogi was surprised twice in less than three minutes of combat. The step is too high again. At the beginning of August, we asked him: and when is retirement? “As long as my body holds up, I’ll push it a little. I’m still progressing and the pleasure is still there.” See you in Los Angeles?