Tokyo (AFP)
For a long time in the shadows, Madeleine Malonga (-78 kg) has sprung in full light by styling her first crown of world judo champion, at age 25, Friday in Tokyo. At the best moment, at one year of the Olympics 2020 in the Japanese capital.
After the fourth historic coronation of Clarisse Agbegnenou (-63 kg) Wednesday, then the first of Marie-Eve Gahié (-70 kg) Thursday, here is the team of France at the head of a collection of three gold medals, all conquered by his female delegation in the space of three days, plus two bronze (Margaux Pinot in -70 kg and Axel Clerget in -90 kg).
The tricolor judo had not amassed so much gold since the Mondials-2011 organized in his lair of Bercy (4 titles). This is all the stronger as his comprehensive insurance Teddy Riner, double Olympic champion in heavyweight title and ten-time world champion, skips the rendezvous Tokyo, fully focused on the Olympics 2020. It falls precisely right, eleven months of the Olympic high mass in the country's cradle of judo.
- "Team of fire" -
"We have a team of fire!" Malonga smiled about the women's group she is part of the microphone of the channel The Team. "We trained well, we were present all year, we did not lie, not cheated, it's the job that pays."
For a long time, Malonga waited for her turn. Joining Insep in 2010, the year of her seventeen years, the one who, child, quickly abandoned the dance for judo has remained long years in the shadows, including that of Audrey Tcheuméo, double medalist Olympic (bronze in 2012 and silver in 2016), triple world medalist and quadruple champion of Europe between 2011 and 2017, but in difficulty this year and not selected for these Mondials-2019. She also had a lot of injuries (knee ligaments, ankle, foot, etc.).
Really launched on the international scene for two seasons, she offered European gold in 2018 and bronze two months ago. Between the two, his first world experience ended in seventh place.
Five victories by ippon in as many fights, two last successes at the expense of the world N.1, the Brazilian Mayra Aguiar, then the outgoing world champion, the Japanese Shori Hamada: it's on the carpet of the prestigious Nippon Budokan, nestled in the heart of Tokyo, not far from the Imperial Palace, and hosting the Olympic judo events next summer, Malonga has captured all the light.
- "Cry for fifteen days" -
In the final, Hamada quickly charged a late waza-ari before falling flat on the back after just under 2 minutes and 30 seconds of fighting.
"It's the accomplishment of hard work," says Malonga. "Tell me that I've arrived, I think I'm going to cry for a fortnight ... I'm really proud of myself."
"Winning in Japan, it was important to me, I hope that in a year at the same place, it will be also gold," dares "Mado", which obviously hit hard in the race for the only sesame Olympic game, and still struggling to dry up his tears long minutes after his victory.
"It was an amazing day, it left no chance for its opponents, it took an even bigger dimension, now it only misses the Olympic title," said the director of France's teams Stéphane Sled.
"Throughout the year, I have regulated myself, I tried to attack less quickly, to be more posed, and it paid off today." I am ramping up throughout the day " explains the new queen.
Malonga, who, in parallel to her career as a nurse, is studying nursing, becomes the twentieth French judoka in the sacred history of the world.
In -100 kg, 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Cyrille Maret and Alexandre Iddir have both been stopped in the round of 16. It is Jorge Fonseca who was golden in their category, a first for Portuguese judo.
© 2019 AFP