She had no complexes this Saturday, November 2, when she entered the mat of the French first division championships, for her first fight. It didn’t matter that she was only sixteen years old, that she was the youngest in the competition, that she was competing in her first senior championships, Alice Lopez gave everything. “I was leaving to gain experience, against the best in the category (- 52 kg) »explains Alice Lopez, afterwards.
It also doesn’t matter that “it was impressive, in the warm-up room, I was with fighters that I usually see on TV”the DAN 79 licensee showed all her talent against Sarah Cabalerro. “I scored a waza-ari at the start of the fight, I continued trying to preserve this advantage, it wasn’t easy”she says, finally qualified thanks to this advantage.
The rest will be more complicated… still. “ In the second and third fights, I felt a physical difference and confidence in my opponents. I also felt that they had more experience”continues Alice Lopez, finally out of the main draw against the future French champion, July Weill Said Morey, then in the repechage after more than two minutes of golden-scoring. “I took a lot of positives from it, I was hoping to do more than one fight, but I didn’t know if I would be able to. I’m happy to have been able to do it and even to lose in the golden score, it allows me to gain experience, analyzes the bronze medalist at the French cadet championships in 2023. I was able to fight without pressure, I didn’t expect anything in terms of results, I was able to completely relax. »
Objective: the French cadets
Same analysis for his DAN 79 coach, Anthony Mortini: “Alice is the satisfaction of these French championships. She managed to beat a fighter who is junior and who could be her main competitor in the future. She showed that she was already at the level. She was surprised in the second fight against the future French champion, and in the repechage, she had a way of passing. In judo, this doesn’t matter much. »
This 2024 edition was also an opportunity for the club from the Niort metropolitan area to confirm the quality of its training by qualifying the youngest participant for the second consecutive year, after Léonie Minkada Caquineau in 2023.
Alice Lopez will now return to work to prepare for her main objective of the season, the French cadet championships in March, with already the Limoges tournament in November and the European Cup in Greece in December on her schedule. History of gaining power « step by step »as his trainer wishes.
