Dushanbe Grand Slam winner Teddy Riner scores points and spirits ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics

If he obtained a third gold medal, on August 2, at 6:45 p.m., at the ephemeral Grand Palais in Paris, which we imagine overheated by excited spectators, Teddy Riner will undoubtedly remember that this Olympic title began to take shape this Sunday, May 5, in Tajikistan. The French judoka won the Grand Slam of Dushanbe in the + 100 kilos category, against local Temur Rakhimov.

Indeed, this success allows the 35-year-old Guadeloupean to make a jump in the ranking of the international judo federation for the Games (Olympic ranking), which should ensure him a seeded place – and theoretically easier first fights. – in a little over three months, in Paris. Before this Grand Slam, he was at 9^e place, 14 points from 8^e and first “protected” judoka for the Games. This success will earn him 1,000 points.

In the final, Teddy Riner almost had two opponents facing him on the mat: Temur Rakhimov (26 years old, 6^e in the Olympic ranking, bronze medalist at the Asian Championships in April) and the public of Dushanbe, unleashed to support “his” fighter, flag bearer of Tajikistan at the Tokyo Olympics, in 2021. But the Frenchman, hermetic to this atmosphere , dominated the fight from start to finish, leaving no opening to his opponent. Rakhimov, unable to place an attack and sanctioned twice by the referee for doing so, ended up giving in after 2 minutes and 25 seconds of fighting, ippon after a nice move from Riner. The Frenchman only had to respectfully greet the – disappointed – public of Dushanbe.

His last tournament before the Games?

Riner had already won at the Grand Slam in Antalya (Turkey) where, despite his success, he expressed a certain weariness. The Olympic champion from London and Rio said he ” fatigue “ And “without desire”, which was seen on the mat, where he seemed less dominant than in the past. In February, he also won the Paris Grand Slam for the eighth time.

In Tajikistan, the French giant started its day by easily dismissing the Turk Munir Ertug, 32^e world, who surrendered after 1 minute and 27 seconds of combat. In the quarter-finals, the German Losseni Kone barely held on longer, but ended up giving in after 2 minutes.

In the semi-finals, Riner faced the Russian Denis Batchaev, 19, who, on paper, did not represent any particular danger for him. But the 129^e world created a surprise by dominating by ippon in 8^are in the final the Finnish Martti Puumalainen, reigning European champion. Riner finally beat Batchaev by ippon by accelerating after 2 minutes and 30 seconds of fighting.

Undefeated since his defeat against Russian Tamerlan Bashaev in the quarter-finals of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Riner has since won the Grand Slams in Budapest in 2022, Paris in 2023 and 2024, and therefore Antalya and Dushanbe. Without forgetting the world title, the eleventh of his career, won in Doha a year ago.

This tournament in Tajikistan could be Riner’s last before the Paris Olympic Games, unless he finally decides to participate in the World Championships in Abu Dhabi at the end of May, where many points will be distributed for the ranking (2,000 for the winner). This is one of the reasons why the French team chose to send many headliners to the United Arab Emirates.

Nine judokas selected for the Olympic Games will certainly be on the trip: Amandine Buchard (− 52 kilos), Clarisse Agbégnenou (− 63 kilos), Marie-Eve Gahié (− 70 kilos) and Madeleine Malonga (− 78 kilos) for women; Luka Mkheidze (− 60 kilos), Walide Khyar (− 66 kilos), Joan-Benjamin Gaba (− 73 kilos), Alpha Djalo (− 78 kilos) and Maxime-Gaël Ngayap Hambou (− 90 kilos) among the men.