Olympic medalist in judo, she dreams of being one in rugby in 2026: “I’m starting from zero, I’m nobody”, Amandine Buchard’s crazy bet

“Making the Olympic Games in judo and rugby” : judoka Amandine Buchard, hyperactive and never satisfied, knows that she has a lot to prove under her new Stade français colors to make this “crazy challenge” a possibility, with Los Angeles 2028 in sight.

Sweet dream or concrete goal? This double project, announced the day after the closing ceremony of the Paris Games by the 29-year-old judoka, came as a surprise, but reached a first milestone with her signing at the Stade Français last week. “I was starting to lose a bit of this flame for judo”rewinds Amandine Buchard, bronze medalist in Paris in – 52 kgs, her second individual medal after silver in Tokyo, and who explains having suffered from the Covid years and the pressure of the medals that we expect from an athlete with his track record.

On the advice of her psychologist and her mental trainer, she then looked for a resource activity, to breathe a different air than that of the tatami mats. “Some are art, others are music, others are studies. I am addicted to sport”analysis Buchard.

They told me, “You’re crazy.”

She then fell back into rugby, discovered in college thanks in particular to one of her sports teachers at the time, Adrien Marbot, today a Top 14 referee. An abandoned passion to throw herself headlong into high-level judo . “Bubuche” returns to the oval ball in January, and plays five matches with the Noisy-le-Grand-Marne-la-Vallée club in Fédérale 2 (4^e division), to the astonishment of some of her fellow judokas, who came to see her play.

“They told me, ‘You’re crazy’”admits with a smile Buchard, who only stopped rugby three weeks before winning a world bronze in Abu Dhabi in May.

The outstretched hand of Stade français

With a new bronze – Olympic – in Paris, she does not want to give up judo, her favorite sport, where she is still looking for her holy grail: an individual title at the Games or the Worlds. “The higher the challenges, the more they transcend me”assures this fierce competitor, who hates losing even in squash or during a “five”.

Without a club after her break with Paris Saint-Germain, opposed to her double project, after the Games, Amandine Buchard was then contacted by Stade français, of which Noisy is a partner club. Seduced by the character of “this girl is full of punch”Yohanne Penot, the sports director of the Stade français rugby school, is convinced that she can bring “a state of mind of a high-level athlete”without however “skip the steps”.

I have no doubt about the contact

A world exists between the Federal 2 and the Elite 2, where the Pink Rockets, the women’s team of Stade Français, play, without even talking about the Bleues of rugby sevens. Initially, Buchard will continue to train and play at his club in Noisy, and will gradually integrate the Parisian team. “We don’t expect Amandine to perform well right away. It’s a four-year project, our goal is to support her”tempers Philippe Jaulin, president of the Stade français Paris rugby association.

“I have no doubt about the contact”says Yohanne Penot. “I’m years behind in terms of vision, play, positioning”recognizes Buchard, who accumulates technical exercises and above all does not want “arrive as a diva”. “I have to find my place in the world of rugby because I’m starting from zero, I’m nobody”she insists.

Titanic program

Other problems will quickly be added to her heavy training program: weight management, essential in judo, that of competition schedules… Nothing to discourage the spirited athlete who will reduce her judo competition program.

No Bercy Grand Slam next February, but priority for the European (April) and World (June) championships. All that remains is to be sure of being selected for the French judo team, where places can be expensive. “By being the best in my category in judo, I will not give myself the choice of not being selected”says Buchard, determined to overcome any obstacle.