France captured its first world junior champion at the Junior worlds at day one in Olbia Italy with Chloe Devictor. The French have a great team and with the absence of some other top countries, the French might have a big hand in the medal distribution. It will certainly look different with the Japanese team competing but they aren’t. The team that is the organizer of the Olympic Games in three years time, will be watched, also at its talents. Some may reach the Olympic Games in a small time period.
French coaches Amina Abdellatif, European medallist and Olympian, as well as Yacine Douma, European Champion, both now coaches within the French junior team explained the IJF their expectations from the competition and immediately took a world title at the first day in the women’s U52kg division and bronze in the men’s U60kg class for Romain Valadier Picard as well as bronze U66kg for Maxime Gobert.
Yacine and Amina agree on one point, “We have a great junior team” and this is perhaps the most important thing, emphasises Amina, “We don’t want a group; we are building a team, because although we are working in an individual sport, each individual is empowered by the power of the team.”
It is certain that for years, team France has proven that they are capable of transcending themselves in great moments, as was the case this summer in Tokyo. When everything pointed to Japan to win the mixed team gold, it was the judoka led by Clarisse Agbegnenou and Teddy Riner who won the coveted medal.
“During the last European Junior Championships, organised in Luxembourg, it worked well for our athletes, both for men and women. For boys I’m still a little concerned. We had two titles and we could still have expected better results, because some of our competitors did not perform up to our expectations but it was a really good overall result.
Everything is possible here in Italy,” explains Yacine Douma. “It’s a great springboard for the Games in Paris in 2024 and those in Los Angeles four years later. All these boys are training hard. Sometimes they are still a little tender, needing to gain experience at the highest level and that is why these championships are so important.”
For Amina Abdellatif the observation is identical, “In Olbia we expect medals of course but above all we want commitment and the desire to win. If it works it will be a great reward for all the work undertaken over the last three years. We started working with these athletes a few years ago and little by little, we are building the future of team France. We have real hopes. The team is made up of girls who have strength and experience and for whom this is the last competition in this age group. Many of them are already on the senior World Judo Tour and have good results there but we also have young rookies. Each one brings to the table their experience and skills and that enriches everyone.”