Luka Mkheidze and Shirine Boukli secured France's initial two medals in judo at the Paris Olympics on Saturday night. Mkheidze clinched the silver medal, while Boukli proudly earned the bronze.
In the men's 60kg final at Champ-de-Mars Arena, Mkheidze was defeated 1-0 by Yeldos Smetov from Kazakhstan. Despite a supportive crowd, disappointment filled the air. Mkheidze, seeded as the No. 3 contender, showed great determination throughout the tournament but couldn't score against Smetov. Smetov made history by becoming the first Kazakh gold medal-winning judoka, after earning silver and bronze in previous Olympics.
Approximately 30 minutes prior to Mkheidze's defeat, Boukli secured France's first medal at the Olympic Games held on home soil by winning the bronze medal match against Laura Martinez from Spain.
The French judo team, known for its strength and including heavyweight Teddy Riner, has made a promising start.
Boukli praised the event's awe-inspiring atmosphere, the positivity of the audience, and the historic significance it held for him.
Mkheidze, a 28-year-old athlete born in Georgia, relocated to France as a teenager in 2010. Since then, he has successfully garnered attention in the field of judo, exemplified by his achievement of a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and a gold medal at the prestigious European Judo Championships in the previous year.
The crowd in Paris demonstrated unwavering support for its two judokas, showcasing an exceptional performance that stood out as one of the prominent highlights of these games. This spectacle was witnessed even before they achieved their remarkable triumphs on the prestigious medal podium.
In the morning session, both competitors coincidentally found themselves on the mats simultaneously during separate matches. The fans responded with dual excitement, cheering "Allez Les Blues!" and even spontaneously bursting into a rendition of "La Marseillaise."
Mkheidze and Boukli skillfully executed ippons to defeat their opponents within a matter of seconds, eliciting an energetic response from the audience.
Paris will offer numerous opportunities for enthusiastic support of its esteemed judo team, as they have representatives competing in all 14 weight classes throughout the Olympics. Riner, the distinguished two-time individual Olympic gold medalist, endeavors to secure a record-tying third gold medal next week. Notably, Riner, along with Marie-José Pérec, had the honor of igniting the Olympic cauldron on Friday evening.
France is internationally regarded as one of the leading nations in the sport of judo. Within the judo community, there exists a notable rivalry between France and the equally influential nation of Japan. This rivalry is expected to reach its pinnacle next week during the highly anticipated mixed-team competition. Notably, France caused a significant upset during the inaugural Olympic mixed team tournament in Tokyo three years ago, emerging as the victors over their Japanese counterparts.