Paris (AFP)
Cyrille Maret, Olympic bronze medalist in 2016 - 100 kg but who had not yet won a fight this year, has regained some colors by offering bronze at the European Judo Championships, as part of the European Games , Monday in Minsk (Belarus).
At 31, Maret has brought his collection of European medals to six, two months away from the 2019 Worlds and just over a year from the 2020 Olympics, both in Tokyo: two in silver (2017 and 2018) and now four bronze, after 2013, 2014 and 2015.
Maret arrived in the Belarusian capital without the slightest victory in 2019 (four defeats in four tournaments), and even for seven months (a fight won at the Grand Prix in The Hague in mid-November). Winner of his first three bouts, he was stopped in the semifinals by the world No.1 in his category, the Georgian Varlam Liparteliani. But he managed to win his duel for a third place at the expense of Belarussian Daniel Mukete (waza-ari).
A little earlier, Madeleine Malonga (25), outgoing European champion, is also on the third step of the podium in -78 kg.
Defeated in the quarter-finals, she came out victorious in her two fights, the repechage and the bronze medal, the last against the Dutch Marhinde Verkerk by ippon.
At the end of the three days of individual events, the French judo totals five medals, as in 2018 (then 3 gold, 2 silver), after the gold conquered before by its safe value Clarisse Agbegnenou (-63 kg) and Margaux Pinot (-70 kg) the day before, and bronze won by Amandine Buchard (-52 kg) on Saturday. His superstar Teddy Riner, whose return to competition is expected in the coming weeks after more than a year and a half without getting on the tatami mats, is not taking part in this European event.
Tuesday is dedicated to the mixed team event, which will enter the Olympic program in 2020.
In Monday's competition in -90 kg, Axel Clerget (32), vice-champion of Europe 2017 and world bronze medalist 2018, and the young Aurélien Diesse (21) fell in their second fight. In +78 kg, Anne-Fatoumata Mbairo (26 years old) was seventh, beaten successively in the quarter-finals, then in repechage.
? 2019 AFP