Sarah-Léonie Cysique was aiming for gold and was more than ever in her final when the improbable happened. Opposed to the Kosovar Nora Gjakova this Monday noon, the French judokate had to suddenly say goodbye to her dreams of the title because the referee considered that she had put herself in danger.
“When I was hot, I got it a bit across my throat (…) I find that a bit unfair. The referees have their vision of things and you can’t interfere too much. Looking at the day, obviously it’s good. But it is not the medal that I wanted, declared Cysique at the microphone of France Televisions.
It is certainly a beautiful silver medal for the native of Sarcelles (Val-d’Oise) who was playing at 23 her first Olympics. But how can we not dwell on this Hansoku-make? There was a minute and eighteen seconds left before the Golden Score when the Frenchwoman fell headfirst onto the tatami as her rival hugged her from behind. The contact of his skull with the ground is violent. The Frenchwoman holds the back of her neck before getting up. One would then have thought that the final would resume once the referee had made sure of Cysique’s health. In fact, after viewing the video, he decides to end the fight.
“Without ambiguity”, confirms Lecanu
Frédéric Lecanu, judo consultant for Eurosport and technical manager within the French Federation, understands the frustration of the competitor of less than 57 kg. “But the decision is clear,” he says. The international rules are indeed very clear: a fighter is declared loser directly by Hansoku-make if he uses the head to avoid the fall or to avoid a mark. The idea of this radical rule? Avoid “the slightest trauma” and “movement dangerous to the head, neck or spine”.
