Boukli, 23, brought the first title to France thanks to her victory over Portugal's Catarina Costa in the -48 kg final, while Amandine Buchard (-52 kg) and Sarah-Léonie Cysique (-57 kg) got the money.

Among the men, Cédric Revol adorned himself with bronze (-60 kg).

To open the counter, Boukli won on a waza-ari in the last minute of the fight and thus won the second European title of her career, after that of 2020.

"I am very happy with this second victory, it's a lot of work that is rewarded," she reacted after receiving her medal.

"I was able to express myself globally and be intelligent when needed."

The joy of the French Shirine Boukli, crowned European champion of -48 kg, after beating the Portuguese Catarina Costa in the final, April 29, 2022 in Sofia Nikolay DOYCHINOV AFP

Boukli was solid all day to reach the final, winning by ippon successively against the Belgian Ellen Salens, then against the Serbian Andrea Stojadinov and the Spaniard Julia Figueroa.

The judoka is thus moving forward again after the disappointing Tokyo Olympics, where she was the only Frenchwoman without a medal.

"After the Games, I wanted to get back into the fight quickly because it's true that I had been disappointed," added Boukli.

"I'm happy, it's a goal fulfilled."

"I was useless"

Despite her silver medal, the disappointment was on the other hand for Amandine Buchard, Olympic vice-champion in Tokyo, beaten in the -52 kg final.

Reigning European champion and world No.1, Buchard, 26, lost to Britain's Chelsie Giles, Olympic bronze medalist this summer, after more than five minutes of Golden score.

On the last movement of the fight, the French clenched her fists, thinking she had made her opponent bend, but the judges considered that it was the Briton who had taken over.

The French Amandine Buchard (g) silver medal in the 52 kg at the European Championships, beaten by the Briton Chelsie Giles (d), April 29, 2022 in Sofia Nikolay DOYCHINOV AFP

"I sucked. I'm disgusted, I didn't do the + taf +", she said.

"On some fights I left too much juice, I should have won them faster."

"I didn't manage to accelerate, to produce my judo. I'm super disappointed, I can't be satisfied with this medal," she added.

"I was European champion, I was on a good run and I should have gone to win this final."

Sarah-Leonie Cysique, also in silver in Tokyo, also became vice-champion of Europe on Friday, in the -57 kg category.

Cysique yielded in the final against the Israeli Timna Nelson Levy on a waza-ari registered after 2 minutes of combat.

The 23-year-old Frenchwoman, who hopes to shine at the Paris Olympics, had ideally managed her fights on the way to the final but was surprised on the edge of the tatami by the power of the Israeli, who made her bend over an uchi -mata spectacular.

Frenchman Cédric Revol wins the bronze medal in the under 60 kg category at the European Championships, April 29, 2022 in Sofia Nikolay DOYCHINOV AFP

The fourth medal of the day was brought by Cédric Revol, in bronze at -60 kg.

The 27-year-old judoka was not supposed to participate in these European championships at first, but he benefited from the withdrawal of Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Luka Mkheidze, who injured his knee.

He beat Georgian Lukhumi Chkhvimiani, 2019 world champion, to the Golden score in the repechage final.

© 2022 AFP