The neo-champion of France + 100kg offered victory to his team in Bègles on Tuesday evening. A victory nevertheless built as a team and which opens the door to the quarter-finals at Montpellier Judo Olympic.
Seven seconds. That’s the time Angel Gustan needed to throw his opponent to the ground and onto his back with a stratospheric De-Ashi-Barai. With this gesture, the 21-year-old from Martinique offered victory to Montpellier, during the last fight (5-4), on the tatami of Bègles in Gironde.
The Montpellier judoka then turned towards his teammates dressed in blue kimonos and celebrated in their direction: “I’m a humble person and I struggle with celebrations, laughed the man who has just been crowned champion of France + 100kg to everyone’s surprise. Giving victory to the team felt a lot of good, I wanted to hug everyone but I held back. I felt a lot of joy.”
Emma Melis and her teammates launch the MJO
If Angel Gustan was able to offer success to his team during the last decisive fight, it is because his partners produced a great performance before him. Above all, a good start to the meeting with the first three of the 10 fights falling to Montpellier Judo Olympic. “The meeting went very well, there was a mixture of many emotions, analyzes Emma Melis who allowed the MJO to lead 3-0 thanks to her success against Léa Beres in – 57kg. I was serene, in quiet strength mode facing a very strong girl. I trusted myself, I did the work and that started the evening. We are a very close-knit team, that can make the difference, we know how to support each other.”
At the break, Montpellier led 3 points to 1. Anthony Tama (81kg) brought home the fourth point by reversing a poorly started situation. If the rest was more complicated, the team of president Christel Boxberger-Lavaud, present in the stands in Bègles, ensured the essentials: a second victory in three days of the championship and qualification almost assured before the last duel in Nantes , next Wednesday.
Almost qualified
“We had three injured, we arrived a little weakened, I knew that the Bègles team was going to be very solid, explained coach Arthur Combeau. We thought it would be tight, we knew how to be strong to get through it. When the first three games went in our favor, I told myself that it was a good omen. We are in a good position to qualify for the quarter-finals of the competition.”
A performance which would be a first for the Montpellier club in three editions of the Judo Pro League.
