Tokyo (AFP)

Like her "big sister" Clarisse Agbegnenou the day before, the young Marie-Eve Gahié (-70 kg) was adorned with gold, a first for her, at the World Judo Championships, Thursday in Tokyo, a year of JO-2020 in the Japanese capital. Margaux Pinot and Axel Clerget collected bronze.

So the medal count of the team of France now climbs to four, including two gold, the day after the fourth historic coronation of Agbegnenou (-63 kg). This allows the Blues to return to second place in the ranking of nations behind the inevitable Japan, two days from the end of the individual events.

At the age of 22, Gahié continues her steady and steady progression at the highest level: European bronze medalist in 2017, then world silver medalist in 2018. She is already on the top step after spreading her progress on the ground. throughout the day.

"Clarisse handed me over, it's a model for me, even though we're very different in her determination, in the way she fights, and in life, she's like a big sister," she says. she at the microphone of the chain the team.

His opponent in the final, the Portuguese Barbara Timo, resisted him only 48 seconds. In total, she dispatched four of her five fights by ippon in less than 1 min 40 sec.

"Last year, I was crying, I thought about it again, today I'm laughing, I wanted to laugh, I wanted to smile," says Gahié, "it was not a revenge, but I had to do it, because that I thought I could do it. "

"It's a step on the road to Tokyo-2020, it was necessary to mark the spirits, I hope to return in a year and do the same," projects the world N.2 category.

- Gahie meets Pinot -

In the race for the only Olympic sesame at stake, which promises to be highly contested, her crowning is also a firm response to Margaux Pinot, crowned European champion two months ago, when she herself had failed at the foot. of the podium, beaten successively in the semifinals, then in fight for a third place.

On the carpets of Nippon Budokan, the famous octagonal hall nestled in the heart of Tokyo and hosting the Olympic judo next summer, this time Pinot (25 years) who bent the doors of the final ( against Timo), before recovering to get bronze at the expense of Sweden's Anna Bernholm (ippon). "We will fight to the end," warns Gahie.

By winning its first world medal, Pinot confirms its beautiful adaptation to its new category, which rose from -63 kg to -70 kg last year.

Gahie, she becomes the 19th French judoka of the sacred history champion of the world.

Like a year ago, Clerget (32) has embodied the first improvement for the judo men tricolor, deprived of all risks insurance Teddy Riner, fully focused on the next Olympic deadline.

First Blue of the week to join the quarterfinals - where he gave in only against the future world champion, the Dutchman Noel Van't End by waza-ari - he finally won bronze again out of the repechage (against Mehdiyev), then overcoming the Swede Marcus Nyman by ippon.

"I do judo for the emotions: you lose in the semifinals (in quarters, ed), it's super hard, you get up and you go get a medal, it's happiness!" Smiles Clerget, slayer at the start of the day the outgoing world champion, Spaniard Nikoloz Sherazadishvili. "Live emotions like that, what's good!"

© 2019 AFP