The French judo squad had a rehearsal before Paris, with several athletes victorious, particularly on the women’s side. French judoka Teddy Riner, 34 years old, made a successful return to individual competition, winning in the final against South Korean Kim Min-jong.

Riner expressed his satisfaction, stating, “That’s done, I wanted to come, it’s a revision.” In six months, on August 2, he could potentially add a third Olympic title in individual competition at the same venue, further solidifying his extraordinary track record.

Notable potential opponents for Riner at the upcoming Olympics, such as Japanese Tatsuru Saito and Russians Inal Tasoev and Tamerlan Bashaev, were not present in Paris. In the final, Riner faced South Korean Kim Min-jong for the first time and secured victory after 24 additional seconds.

Under the cheers of the Bercy Arena, 31-year-old six-time world champion Clarisse Agbégnénou claimed her seventh victory in Paris, defeating 21-year-old Croatian Katarina Kristo in the final. Agbégnénou highlighted the significance of her hard-earned victory, emphasizing that it clears things up in everyone’s mind.

She expressed a sense of relief, stating, “I couldn’t stay like this, it wasn’t me,” referring to her disappointing performance at the European Championships in Montpellier. Agbégnénou had a marathon day, spending 32 minutes on the tatami in five matches.

In the final against Kristo, she narrowly avoided defeat before securing victory in overtime. Additionally, Luka Mkheidze, who won the European Championship in November, secured his first Grand Slam victory in Paris, defeating South Korean Lee Ha-rim in the final.

Mkheidze expressed his satisfaction, hoping to maintain his confidence throughout the preparation. Among the women, the gold medal haul was significant.

Romane Dicko claimed victory in the +78 kg category, defeating Turkish Kayra Ozdemir in the final. Faiza Mokdar and Shirine Boukli also achieved titles in the -57 kg and -48 kg categories.