Judo: legend Teddy Riner tastes defeat again after nine years of invincibility

Less than six months before the Olympics-2020, it was a real thunderclap that struck the world of judo. The French Teddy Riner, who is seeking a third historic Olympic coronation in Tokyo, lost for the first time in more than nine years, in the third round of the Paris tournament, Sunday, February 9.

It was the Japanese number 2 Kokoro Kageura, by ippon in overtime, who put an end to the vertiginous series of 154 fights won consecutively by the double Olympic champion in heavyweight and ten times world champion (eight times in +100 kg, twice in all categories).

All great series have an end, that of @teddyriner stopped at 154 fights won consecutively. An incredible series for a unique champion. The preparation for Tokyo continues! @Judo @ Paris2024 @europeanjudo pic.twitter.com/6ZIYWmXHnB

Riner had not been beaten since September 13, 2010. Until then, it was another Japanese, Daiki Kamikawa, who was the last fighter to have folded, in the final of the World All categories, by decision of the referees after extension.

This defeat, which is more against a Japanese opponent and by ippon, calls necessarily within six months of his historic Olympic challenge. Only the Japanese Tadahiro Nomura, in lightweights, has so far achieved the feat of becoming a triple Olympic judo champion (1996, 2000 and 2004).

Back from injury

Riner, who celebrated his 30th birthday last April, has been generally rare on tatami mats since his second Olympic coronation in Rio in 2016. He had made his comeback - victorious - after twenty months without competition at the Montreal Grand Prix early last July. Then he won three months later at the Grand Slam in Brasilia in early October.

But the rest of his fall was disrupted by a broken side in training after the Brazilian tournament: he was forced to give up those of Abu Dhabi and Perth in the following weeks.

On the carpet of Bercy Sunday, Riner started his day laboriously by coming to the end of the Hungarian Richard Sipocz only after more than two minutes in the golden score, the extension after the four minutes of regular time, with penalties (3-2 ). Then he dismissed the Austrian Stephan Hegyi by ippon. But he did not find the fault against Kageura, his first opponent of a higher caliber.

After September 2010, Riner had imposed an undeniable domination on the queen category of judo and had won everything each time he had set foot on a carpet. More than nine years of invincibility that have allowed him to build, year after year, one of the richest records in the history of judo.

In 2015, Riner thus became the first judoka, men and women combined, to be crowned eight times world champion. Then in 2017, in less than three months, from Budapest to Marrakech, he offered his "decima" - understanding his dozen world gold medals, ten years after his very first.

With AFP

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