Paris headliner Clarisse Agbegnenou wins for the sixth time

Four-time world champion Clarisse Agbegnenou appropriately ended day one on a high for the hosts as the leading attraction on Saturday powered to gold. Agbegnenou, who was encouraged as always by the familiar and deafening chants of ‘Clarisse, Clarisse’, avenged her World Judo Masters final defeat at the hands of Tokyo 2020 contender Nabekura by ippon from a ura-nage.

The Japanese ace entered the final minute with two shidos already to her name and, to her credit, decided to risk everything and as she committed to her attack the home hero was waiting and sent the crowd into raptures by handing France their first gold medal of the competition.

In the first semi-final Agbegnenou defeated world number six Andreja Leski (SLO) by ippon by tipping over the unsuspecting Slovenian for the maximum score on the edge of the area to send the crowd wild.

In the second semi-final Nabekura pinned down Olympic champion Tina Trstenjak (SLO) for 20 seconds and ippon to earn a place in the Paris Grand Slam final in impressive fashion.

In the first bronze medal contest Tel Aviv Grand Prix silver medallist Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard (CAN) produced a disappointing performance as she lost out by shidos against Trstenjak who imposed herself just enough to force three errors from her Canadian opponent. 

The second bronze medal contest saw Osaka Grand Slam winner Doi Masako (JPN) prevail over Leski after the Slovenian stepped out of the area after two minutes of added time and duly received her third shido.