Paris (AFP)

Teddy Riner, currently in training in Morocco, prefers to give "priority to training" and will not fight in the Grand Slam of Tashkent (Uzbekistan) this weekend, AFP learned from his entourage on Wednesday.

Riner (31), who returned to victory in mid-January at the Doha Masters for his return to international competition almost a year after his defeat in Paris - then his first in nearly nine and a half years - will not participate either more at the Grand Slam of Tbilisi organized at the end of the month, also indicated his entourage.

"Priority to training", explains his trainer Franck Chambily.

"In technical and physical training in Morocco (...) The form and confidence are there, the opposition too, it's all good for the preparation # Tokyo2020", tweeted Riner a week ago.

His schedule for competing in the home stretch before the Tokyo Olympics, now less than five months away, remains to be clarified.

Two other Grand Slams, the most prestigious tournament category on the world circuit, in Antalya (April 1-3) and Kazan (May 5-7), plus European Championships, mid-April in Lisbon, and Championships of the world, in Budapest just seven weeks from the Olympics, are still scheduled by the end of the Olympic qualification period on June 28.

His current 15th place in the Olympic rankings virtually secures Riner's qualification, but it doesn't quite allow him to claim seeded status and a potentially more favorable draw.

The reigning two-time Olympic heavyweight champion and ten-time world champion (eight times in +100 kg, two in all categories), aims to conquer a third historic coronation in the Japanese capital.

Only the Japanese Tadahiro Nomura, in lightweight, has so far achieved the feat of becoming three-time Olympic champion in judo (1996, 2000 and 2004).

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