French lining up for double gold at heavyweight day

The final day of the Judo Tournament at Paris 2024 was nothing short of electrifying, as the heavyweights took to the tatami to deliver a series of gripping matches. From stunning victories to unexpected exits, the day was filled with drama, showcasing the prowess and unpredictability of judo at its finest.

Lukas Krpalek (CZE), aiming for his third Olympic gold, began his campaign with a strong performance, defeating Jelle Snippe (NED) by executing two tomoe-nage throws. However, his journey was cut short by Tatsuru Saito (JPN), who threw him with an impressive uchi-mata, ending Krpalek's quest in just over two minutes.

Kim Minjong (KOR) showcased his technical skill by throwing Ibragim Tataroglu (TUR) with osoto-gari and then securing an ippon with an armlock. Ushangi Kokauri (AZE) displayed versatility, defeating Martti Puumalainen (FIN) by first attempting a soto-makikomi before switching to an ouchi-gari for ippon. Andy Granda (CUB) demonstrated textbook technique with a clean ashi-guruma against Marvin Gadeau (MON), while Erik Abramov (GER) and Temur Rakhimov (TJK) had a quick but intense match, with Rakhimov winning by ippon after an early exchange.

Guram Tushishvili (GEO) impressed by throwing Mbagnick Ndiaye (SEN) with a drop ippon-seoi-nage within the first minute. The home crowd was particularly excited to see their hero, Teddy Riner (FRA), take on Magomedomar Magomedomarov (UAE). Riner struggled to throw his opponent in regular time and eventually relied on penalties in Golden Score to advance. This less-than-ideal start did not bode well for his campaign to secure a third gold medal.

Kim Minjong faced a tough bout against Ushangi Kokauri but managed to throw him with an uchimata in the last 30 seconds of their match. Although initially awarded ippon, the decision was changed to waza-ari upon video review. Nevertheless, the late score was enough to secure his victory.

The quarterfinal between Tatsuru Saito and Andy Granda was a grudge match, given Granda's previous victory over Saito at the 2022 World Championships through penalties. Their intense match extended into Golden Score, with both players under pressure. Saito ultimately triumphed, throwing Granda with an uchimata for waza-ari in the fourth minute.

Temur Rakhimov's bout against Alisher Yusupov (UZB) was thrilling, with Yusupov scoring first with a makikomi technique. Rakhimov equalized in the last 30 seconds with a tewaza, and the match went into Golden Score, where Yusupov received his third shido for excessive gripping without attacking.

The showdown between Guram Tushishvili and Teddy Riner was expected to be the highlight of the day. However, it ended dramatically for the wrong reasons. Tushishvili's aggressive tactics frustrated Riner, who ultimately took the Georgian down with a tani-otoshi. After the ippon was awarded, Tushishvili's unsportsmanlike behavior led to a hansoku-make, disqualifying him from further competition. The IJF also banned Tushishvili from participating in the Mixed Team event and future international competitions pending an investigation into his conduct.

Romane Dicko (FRA) faced Sophie Somkhishvili (GEO) in a rather uneventful match, with Somkhishvili receiving three shidos for defensiveness within the first two minutes. Beatriz Souza (BRA) dominated Izayana Marenco (NCA), throwing her with ashi-guruma for ippon within the first minute. Raz Hershko (ISR) needed just over two minutes to defeat Marit Kamps (NED) with a drop sode-tsurikomi-goshi followed by a hold-down. Kayra Ozdemir (TUR) won her match against Adiyasuren Amarsaikhan (MGL) on penalties, while Akira Sone (JPN) defeated Xu Shiyan (CHN) with an ouchi-gari for waza-ari in the last 30 seconds.

Dicko swiftly overcame Larisa Ceric (BIH) in their quarterfinal, throwing her with a sasae-tsurikomi-ashi and then pinning her for a combined waza-ari-awasete-ippon. Souza had a tough match against Kim Hayun (KOR), both receiving two shidos each before entering Golden Score, where Souza's big kosoto scored ippon. Hershko scored early against Milica Zabic (SRB) with a drop sode-tsurikomi-goshi, following up with a hold-down for waza-ari-awasete-ippon. In an upset, Ozdemir defeated Akira Sone in Golden Score, capitalizing on a sloppy drop seoi-nage to secure a pin and hold for the win.

The final day of judo at Paris 2024 encapsulated the sport's essence—unpredictability, technical mastery, and intense competition—leaving fans eagerly anticipating the next Olympic cycle.