Teddy Riner and Romane Dicko both earned bronze medals in judo at the Tokyo Olympics on Friday.
On the other side of the world, in the Paris region premises of PSG Judo, the club of the two athletes, the atmosphere was contrasted, as Europe 1 could see.
REPORTAGE
A bronze medal with a taste of unfinished. At the end of the morning, Friday, Teddy Riner won the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, after a premature elimination in the quarter-finals of +100 kg. A disappointment for the double Olympic champion, who thus gleaned a fourth medal in as many participations in the Olympics. "I was a long time on the first steps of the podium. (…) Today, it has not happened. There is still Paris 2024", he confided after his final fight at the microphone of France Televisions. A little earlier, the young Romane Dicko, 21, also won bronze in the +78 kilograms.
At La Factory, the headquarters of PSG Judo, near Paris, the club of these two athletes, the atmosphere was initially a little leaden for Teddy Riner, eliminated in the quarter-finals.
But we must especially remember this fourth Olympic medal won consecutively.
"We know that nothing is played at this level, in judo, for everyone. We are in a fight, an error, a fraction of a second, we are down and it's over. winning a lot of titles for a long time, being above it is already exceptional ", greets Djamel Bouras, former judoka and president of PSG Judo.
The #bronze for @teddyriner applauded by the family @ PSG_inside # Judo @ Europe1pic.twitter.com / S0hw0a1zAZ
- Julien Froment (@JulienFroment) July 30, 2021
"As if it was gold"
Teddy Riner's disappointment contrasts with the pride of the Romane Dicko clan, barely 21, first Olympic Games and first bronze medal, outpouring of joy at PSG headquarters when she beat Turkish judoka, victory synonymous with bronze medal.
"It's great, it's beautiful, there are no words, congratulations Romane, bravo my daughter, we love you, we are so happy! It's great, for his first Olympics, this is not is not nothing, a medal, for me it is as if it were gold ", confides her mother, Charlotte, very moved.
The #Dicko clan's outpouring of joy after his bronze medal!
#Judo@Europe1pic.twitter.com/T53xLEoP55
- Julien Froment (@JulienFroment) July 30, 2021
There may be additional emotions for Romane Dicko's mother, as tomorrow her daughter will be in contention for an Olympic gold medal thanks to the team event on Saturday. She won't be alone. "If tomorrow, we manage to take Olympic team gold, I will be three times Olympic champion," anticipates Riner already, not yet satisfied.