Paris Grand Slam: Day 2 Recap – French Judo Dominates in Key Categories
Early Morning Victories Set the Tone
The second day of the Paris Grand Slam kicked off with a bang for France, as judokas secured crucial victories in strategic weight categories.
Women’s +78kg: Clémence Émé & Tieman Diaby Shine
In the opening moments of the day, Clémence Émé claimed victory in the women’s +78kg category. Facing Brazilian Luana Carvalho, Émé executed an o-uchi-gari that resulted in a decisive ippon
, securing a strong start for the French team. On the same mat, Tieman Diaby followed suit, defeating German Daniel Udsilauri in the men’s +100kg category via a late o-uchi-gari for yuko
.
Men’s -81kg: Giordano Starts Day with Two Falls
In the men’s -81kg category, French judoka Mattéo Giordano began his day on a high note. Giordano notched two falls against Moldovan Petru Pelivan, first with a morote-seoi-nage on the right, scoring a waza-ari
, and then sealing the victory with an ippon
.
Disappointments and Closely Contested Fights
Not every French judoka enjoyed an easy path to victory, as some were faced with challenging opponents in hard-fought contests.
-100kg: Damier Falls Short Against Refugee Flag Representative
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-refugee flag
Kh., 5-0
In a tough contest, Francis Damier (FLAM 91) faced Khuslen Munkhuu, who was competing under the refugee flag. Damier, leading by a yuko
, was ultimately caught by Munkhuu’s uchi-mata to the left and immobilized for nine seconds, resulting in a second yuko
for Munkhuu. Despite a strong effort, Damier was unable to recover the deficit and fell short.
-70kg: Gahié Falls to Timo in Golden Score
In the women’s -70kg category, Marie-Eve Gahié faced Portuguese judoka Barbara Timo in a rematch of the 2019 World Finals. The fight was closely contested throughout, but Timo ultimately secured the victory with a sankaku jime at the start of the golden score, handing Gahié her first defeat of the day.
#DidYouKnow? The Paris Grand Slam Facts You Probably Missed
- Clémence Émé and Tieman Diaby are the first judokas to secure
ippon
andyuko
victories, respectively, for France on day 2. - The Paris Grand Slam is part of the IJF World Tour, offering valuable ranking points for the Olympic Games qualifiers.
- Mattéo Giordano’s two-fall victory is his first in the IJF World Tour, showcasing his growing international credentials.
#ProTip: Looking Ahead to Day 3
Keep an eye on the women’s -78kg and -81kg categories, as well as the men’s -90kg and -100kg divisions. These weight classes have shown promise and could yield more French success stories on day 3.
Stay Tuned for More Updates
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