Teddy Riner makes winning return to competition at French team championships
The three-time Olympic gold medallist led PSG Judo in the men's event to claim his first title since joining the Parisian club in 2017.
Judo
Teddy Riner claimed his first title of the year as he made a successful season debut at the French team championships in Villebon-sur-Yvette, 20km south of Paris, on Saturday (29 May).
The five-time Olympic medallist led PSG Judo to a maiden success in the men's event as the Parisian club beat defending champions Longjumeau (FLAM 91) 3-2 after a thrilling final.
"It was a good day, but this is just the French level, so I need to continue to work," said Riner, who claimed his first trophy with PSG since joining them in 2017. Decisive was his win against Alexandre Iddir thanks to a yoko-guruma followed by a clear harai-goshi.
"I want to savour each medal now because I can feel the weight of the years piling up" - Teddy Riner
Riner: I was the big brother for the team
Hundreds of noisy fans filled the stands of the Grand Dome to cheer for the 10-time world champion, who impressed in the early stages of the competition scoring two ippons after 29 and 22 seconds against Eure Judo and Dojo Beglais respectively: "It's important to have this support because we are living this adventure as a big team," said the Frenchman, who later went to Saint-Denis to attend the Champions League final won by Real Madrid.
The Guadeloupe native will be in action again at the Budapest Grand Slam on 8 July before the Worlds in Tashkent, Ukzbekistan, in October: "This is just a stop in my journey," added the 33-year-old who's targeting a fifth Olympic participation at the home Games in Paris in two years time.
READ: Coach Frank Chambily reveals how Teddy Riner is preparing for Paris 2024
PSG Judo became the first team to achieve the double at the French nationals following the women's team's triumph too.
Recently-crowned European champions Marie-Eve Gahie and Romaine Dicko starred in the final against Blanc-Mesnil (3-1), while Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Amandine Bouchard scored an ippon after just 8 seconds.
"We had a good feeling before this tournament. We've built this group over the years and I've played the role of the big brother, making sure the team could develop on both sides during this journey," Riner commented.