French judo star Teddy Riner on Saturday won a record-extending 11th individual Judo World Championships title in Doha, six years after his last, as he gears up for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The 34-year-old beat Russian Inal Tasoev in the over-100kg final to become the oldest world champion in history.
“I really hope it will come off [again] at Paris 2024, but it can only come off when you have days like that,” he said.
Photo: AFP
“It’s been a long time since I heard The Marseillaise [the French national anthem] on a world podium, it feels good,” he said.
Riner dispatched world No. 1 Temur Rakhimov in 30 seconds in the semi-finals, but needed overtime to defeat Tasoev by waza-ari.
“I think it’s one of the biggest days of my entire career,” he added. “No rhythm all day, so what do we use? The mind, that’s all that’s left.”
The man from Guadeloupe, who became the youngest men’s world champion in 2007, is to bid for a third individual Olympic gold medal on home soil next year, after having to settle for bronze in Tokyo.
Riner last appeared in the world championships in 2017 and missed out last year due to an ankle injury.
Japan’s Akira Sone, the Olympic champion in Tokyo, claimed a second world title in the over-78kg category.
She defeated Julia Tolofua of France after more than seven minutes of overtime on penalties.
Taiwan’s Tsai Jia-wen lost to Italy’s Asya Tavano in the opening round of Pool A for the over-78kg category, and Taiwanese Chang Ling-fang lost to Poland’s Kinga Wolszczak in the opening round of Pool D.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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