Europe 1 with AFP 9:55 p.m., November 15, 2022
Christophe Gagliano has been removed from his position as manager of the French men's judo team due to recent poor results.
He had held his position since January 2021. Baptiste Leroy, coach of the Etoile Sportive de Blanc-Mesnil club (Seine-Saint-Denis), will replace him.
A month after a disappointing World Championships, the French Judo Federation appointed a new high performance manager for its men's team on Tuesday.
Baptiste Leroy thus succeeds Christophe Gagliano who arrived at the head of the Blues in January 2021, the body announced in a press release.
Leroy, 46, triple champion of France, is the current coach of the Sporting Star of Blanc-Mesnil (Seine-Saint-Denis), club where the international medalists Madeleine Malonga, Julia Tolofua or Cédric Revol are notably licensed.
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Bad results
"It was urgent to remedy the poor results of the French men's team, less than two years from the Paris Games", explained the president of the Federation Stéphane Nomis.
"There is still time to act and change some things in the men's sector," he added.
The Federation is making this change "with a view to obtaining better results (...) but also to changing the methods of training and approach to high level", it is specified.
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No podium on the men's side
At the Tashkent Worlds last October, the men's team, rejuvenated and deprived of its leader, Teddy Riner, had not reached any podium.
On the women's side, Les Bleues had won four medals including a title.