In addition to these two titles, the Blues went for two other medals, silver with Cédric Revol, and bronze thanks to Amandine Buchard, while waiting for the two leaders of the Blues, Teddy Riner and Romane Dicko, who enter the running. Sunday.

In the -48 kg, it is not necessarily Blandine Pont that the noisy public of the Accor Arena was expecting but undoubtedly rather her compatriot Shirine Boukli, world N.1 in the category.

But for her third participation in the prestigious tournament, the double European champion was surprised in her first fight.

Blandine Pont took the opportunity to climb to first place on the podium after two bronze medals in the last two editions.

In the final, she won on a waza-ari scored after a minute of combat against the Serbian Milica Nikolic.

"It feels good!" Said the 24-year-old judoka with a smile, who is pursuing dental studies in parallel with her sports career to become a dentist.

"(This medal) represents a lot of work, a somewhat winding path with failures, victories. I did not give up, I continued to work and today I am here."

A little later, Priscilla Gneto brought Les Bleues the second title of the evening in -57 kg.

Gneto won on penalties during extra time against a big client, Canadian Jessica Klimkait, 2021 world champion and bronze medalist at the Tokyo Olympics.

"To be patient"

The 31-year-old Frenchwoman, revealed by her third place at the London Olympics in 2012, had to wait for her tenth participation in the big meeting at Bercy to make the Marseillaise sound.

Priscilla Gneto in Paris on February 4, 2023 © Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP

"You had to be patient! It was a personal goal that I had since I started judo to win the Paris Tournament. Now it's done, so I'm very happy and very moved," he said. she reacted after a very close final.

In her fight for bronze, Amandine Buchard won against Priscilla Gneto's little sister, Astride.

Buchard, who was the defending champion, adorned herself with bronze after a "quite difficult" day.

"I suffered all day," said the Tokyo Olympic vice-champion, disabled for several months by a back injury.

"It's a daily struggle. I felt like I was broken all over."

"It's all the more difficult to face a Frenchwoman. We know each other by heart, we are in the race for the Games. In addition, she shook me up," admitted the 27-year-old judoka.

Among the boys, the only medal came from Cédric Revol, in silver in -60 kg.

After a bronze medal at the Portuguese Grand Prix last week, the Isérois lost in the final against the Azerbaijani Balabay Aghayev.

"It's a bit frustrating. I'm doing the match hurting all over the place and suddenly being a little less concentrated," admitted the 2022 European bronze medalist.

© 2023 AFP