Teddy Riner books strategic win on the Road to Paris 2024

In a performance that showcased his dominance, French judoka Teddy Riner easily won the Marrakech Open in the +100 kg category, securing valuable points for his Olympic qualification. Despite the relatively low level of competition compared to Grand Slams or World Championships, Riner’s victory was a crucial step towards improving his ranking ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Riner, ranked seventh in the world, began his campaign in the quarter-finals, needing only three bouts to claim victory. His first bout against Moroccan Anaas Rhefraoui ended in 1'05‘’ with Rhefraoui losing on penalties. In the semi-finals, Riner faced fellow Frenchman Tieman Diaby, ranked 118th globally. Diaby was penalized twice before Riner’s o-soto-gari ippon finished the bout with more than a minute remaining. The final saw Riner swiftly dispatch Cameroonian Daniel Mepoui Anong with an uchi-mata ippon‘’.

Coaching Switch

A notable aspect of this event was the presence of Christian Chaumont in Riner’s coach’s chair, instead of his usual coach, Franck Chambily. Chaumont, based in Marrakech like Riner, was his club coach at Levallois and has returned to provide tactical advice ahead of the Turkish Grand Slam in Antalya. Despite Chaumont’s temporary role, Chambily resumed coaching duties for the Grand Slam, where Riner also emerged victorious.

Strategic Olympic Points

With this win, Riner earned 100 points, boosting his position in the Olympic rankings. Currently eighth, Riner stands to improve to seventh once the ranking adjusts to include only one judoka per nation, displacing one of the two Russian competitors, Tasoev or Bashaev. This positioning is vital for Riner, aiming to be a seeded athlete at the Paris 2024 Olympics, thus ensuring a more favorable draw until the quarter-finals.

Riner is set to compete in the Madrid Open next Sunday. A victory there would earn him another 100 points, potentially allowing him to surpass Japan’s Tatsuru Saito, who holds 5,170 points compared to Riner’s 5,100. This competition is critical for Riner as he seeks to solidify his ranking and secure a strategic advantage heading into the Paris Games.

As a three-time Olympic champion (2012, 2016, and 2021 in mixed teams), Teddy Riner’s path to Paris 2024 is carefully mapped out. His recent victories in Marrakech and potentially at the European Open Madrid are steps towards ensuring he enters the Olympics in peak competitive form and with an advantageous seeding overtaking Saito. Riner’s journey is closely watched as he aims to add another Olympic title to his illustrious career.