The member of the Etoile Sportif du Blanc-Mesnil (Seine-Saint-Denis) won a new medal for France at the Tashkent Judo World Championships. It is also the second medal for Ile-de-France after the victory of Amandine Buchard (-52kg) last Friday.
For the first World Championships of her career, the tricolor judoka Manon Deketer obtained this Sunday in Tashkent the bronze medal in the category less than 63 kg, the one where Clarisse Agbégnénou usually shines.
The graduate of the Etoile Sportive du Blanc-Mesnil (Seine-Saint-Denis), aged 24, beat the Polish in the repechage final Angelika Szymanska thanks to a balayage valant waza-ari. “I’m proud of myself (…) It feels so good!“, blew the 18th world after having received his medal.
Taking advantage of the absence in her category of the five-time world champion and reigning champion Clarisse Agbégnénou, in the recovery phase after maternity leave, she had obtained her qualification for these Worlds thanks to her good results this season, especially in Grand Slams.
“She showed that she was capable of going for a world podium“, its congratulated her coach in the France team Séverine Vandenhende. “Unfortunately she makes a little dumpling in half but it’s her best season. So why not for the next, go get the title?“
Exempted from the first round, she had started her day with a serious fight against the modest Uzbek Sevinch Isokova before eliminating the Dutch Sanne Vermeer, bronze medalist at the last Worlds. She then crossed the quarter finals en immobilizer at Roumaine Florentina Ivanescu.
But in the semi-finals, she did not find the solution against the world number 3, the Canadian Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard, who sent her to the repechage. “I had been warned that she worked a lot on the ground and I stayed too passive when I should have blocked or defended and unfortunately I had“, commented Manon Deketer.
The native of Dunkirk brings France its second medal in these World Championships, which is also the second medal for Ile-de-France after the bronze won on Friday by Amandine Buchard – licensed at PSG – in less than 52 kg.
Long blocked in her category by Agbégnénou, Manon Deketer is not necessarily the judoka who was the most awaited during this Uzbek week. During the European championships at the end of April, she had not been able to seize her chance, eliminated in the first round. But after “a questioning” et “a lot working“, she approached the Worlds with much more determination.
“There hasn’t always been that trust. She devalued herself a little whereas today she realizes clearly what she is capable of doing“, estimated on the coach. “It will do good. On paper, among the girls, she was the one who seemed the least armed but she demonstrated that she was able to beat the best.“
From there to shake up the hierarchy in those under 63 kg and get your ticket for the 2024 Olympics at the expense of Agbégnénou? “Clarisse, she has her career, I have mine and frankly I try to do
my little way without thinking about what is happening around“, she assured. “We’ll see, but I’m thinking of myself. All the competitions, all the medals, I take them and we will see at the end.”
The day went less well for the other Frenchman engaged on Sunday, Alpha Djalo. Eliminated in the second round, he was the victim of the world No.1, the Georgian Tato Grigalashvili, who ended up winning the title. Monday, Marie-Eve Gahié and Margaux Pinot (-70 kg) as well as Alexis Mathieu (-90 kg) enter the fray.
Source: AFP
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