At 29, Amandine Buchard, quadruple Olympic medalist in judo, is preparing to take on an extraordinary sporting challenge. The French athlete aims to participate in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games in two disciplines: judo, her field of excellence, and rugby sevens, a new field where she is boldly launching herself.
#Stade2 | Large format: Amandine Buchard, double Jeux 🥋🏉
🔥 She set herself an immense challenge: participating in the Los Angeles Games in judo but also… in rugby 7. Amandine Buchard tells Stade 2 about her double project!
▶️ The show in replay: pic.twitter.com/UU7QTkzglb
— francetvsport (@francetvsport) November 24, 2024
A unique and ambitious project
Three medals in the viewfinder
“No, not two medals. Three ! »she corrects energetically when asked about her ambitions for Los Angeles. Amandine Buchard does not hide her objective: not only to confirm her supremacy in judo, but also to find a place in rugby sevens, a world where she starts from scratch.
For this unique project, she joined forces with Stade Français, a club which will support her in this double Olympic adventure. “The objective is to make the Olympic Games in judo and rugby”she explains. “It is not possible to abandon one of the two disciplines. That’s the beauty of this challenge: trying to perform well in both. »
“The goal is three Olympic medals”: ​​Amandine Buchard’s crazy challenge, between rugby sevens and judo
➡️ pic.twitter.com/d6QfosXN9r— The Parisian | sport (@leparisiensport) October 16, 2024
A flame rekindled by rugby
If Amandine Buchard decided to try this double participation, it is largely thanks to rugby. This sport, discovered as a “resource activity” during a period of rejection from judo, helped her mentally regenerate after years of constant pressure.
“I had a duty to bring home medals in judo all the time. I no longer did things for myself. With rugby, I had a blast, I found pleasure again. » This interlude allowed him to win a new individual medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
A schedule worthy of a marathon
To pursue these two careers simultaneously, Amandine Buchard imposes a precise organization.
Cross training
She trains with Stade Français three days a week while participating in specific sessions in Noisy-le-Grand to progress technically in rugby. At the same time, she maintains her level of excellence in judo thanks to targeted preparations.
🗣️”I think it’s great! If I had been given the opportunity to change sports, I would have gone for it at full speed!”@brahiminside is very enthusiastic about the choice of Amandine Buchard, who decided to combine rugby sevens and judo on her way to the Los Angeles Games… pic.twitter.com/oUQxQp7bbq
— the L’Équipe channel (@lachainelequipe) October 16, 2024
High-level logistical support
His club provides him with a complete team: four coaches (two for rugby, two for judo), physical trainers, a mental trainer, a physiotherapist and a doctor. “If with that, it doesn’t work!” »she jokes.
Ambitions intact in judo
Despite her foray into rugby, Amandine Buchard remains determined to shine on the tatamis. “I didn’t train in judo from November to March, and that didn’t stop me from being a medalist at the World Championships and the Olympics. »
For now, she plans to return to international competition in 2025, during the European Championships in Podgorica and the World Championships in Budapest. The athlete also keeps a personal objective in his sights: winning a senior world title, which is still missing from his list of achievements.
A new sporting identity to build
In rugby, Amandine Buchard starts from zero. “I have no status, I am a nobody. But that doesn’t put pressure on me, on the contrary. I have everything to prove. »
She knows that it will be a long road to join the French women’s rugby sevens team. Yohanne Penot, sports director of Stade Français, explains: “We don’t want to skip steps. She must adapt to the specificities of rugby, such as tackling, to become a selectable player. »
The challenge of a lifetime
For Amandine Buchard, this project is more than just a sporting challenge. It’s a way of pushing one’s limits, of proving that it is possible to excel in two such demanding disciplines.
With her legendary determination, her talent, and the support of a strong entourage, the judokate-rugbyman embodies ambition and audacity. Four years before the Los Angeles Olympic Games, she is already making her supporters dream.
Amandine Buchard’s double bet could well write a new page in Olympic history.
