Tokyo (AFP)
The foilist Enzo Lefort, reigning world champion (2019), was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Tokyo Olympics, beaten 15 to 10 touches by the Italian Daniele Garozzo, Olympic champion in Rio-2016, Monday in Chiba.
What predominates, confided the Frenchman after his match, "it is the disappointment and the frustration: I came across a very strong Garozzo tactically who knew how to change a lot, block me on my strengths".
"At one point, I found a small solution, but he was able to adapt and impose his game and from that moment on, I couldn't find the solution that would have tipped the match in my favor ", he estimated.
At 5-5, Garozzo complained of a cramp in his left leg and had to seek treatment on the track for several minutes, before resuming the assault, painlessly.
Asked about this cramp, Lefort denied that it could be other than physiological: "Garozzo, he's a fighter, if he stopped the match, it's because he really had something, we only have respect between us on the track, it's not the type to spoil the match ".
In this quarter-final, Lefort was penalized by three points, jeopardizing his chances of winning against the gold medalist from Rio five years ago.
"These three touches on red card that I take, at such a level, tip the scales to one side," he said, adding that the first in particular "had hurt".
"In a match that I lose 15-10, that really makes the difference, but these are facts of the game and the referee has the right to have his interpretation, so it's up to me to deal with", he said underlined, before concluding: "Of the game, I had to spare, I just had to channel it, concentrate it only in my arm and not in my legs".
Lefort was the last Frenchman entered in the individual foil table, after the premature eliminations of Julien Mertine and Maxime Pauty, in their first round.
The men's foil team competition will be held on the last day of the Olympic fencing tournament, Sunday August 1.
© 2021 AFP