a new silver medal in judo which gives Sandrine Martinet the desire for more

The French judoka won the silver medal in the under 48 kg category on Thursday. This is her fifth medal at the Paralympic Games, the first in this weight category.

Like a month earlier, the temporary Grand Palais shook on Thursday, September 5. After a long day of waiting, the French public, as numerous as they were noisy, was unable to exult at the end of the women’s final in the under 48 kg category J2 (visually impaired). And for good reason: it was Kazakhstan’s Akmaral Nauatbek, the reigning double world champion, who took home gold against Sandrine Martinet.

But the public quickly found its breath to still celebrate the legend of French Paralympism who, at 41 years old, had just won his fifth Paralympic medal in six participations (gold in Rio in 2016, silver in Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and Tokyo 2021). “I am very proud of this silver medal. I had regrets about the previous finals, but not about this one. I had a great day whereas a few months ago, I didn’t know if I could compete here.”Sandrine Martinet savored, once she got off the tatami.

Making it to Paris 2024 was already a victory for the French flag bearer of 2021. Not for reasons of age, but because of a change in regulations that saw her former category of under 52 kg eliminated after Tokyo. To be present at these Games on home soil, Sandrine Martinet had to reinvent herself, at 41 years old. “It was her dream to do the Games in front of her children, it was her project. We supported her as best we could. Over the last two months, we took care of her because her body speaks too. Diets wear you down at a certain age.”says Antoine Hays, team leader of the French parajudo team.

“We set up a unit with a physical trainer, two physiotherapists. We arranged her training program so that she was comfortable. She had to manage her family life in addition to her diet and sessions, there were ups and downs, but she was there.”

Antoine Hays, team leader of the Blues

to franceinfo: sport

On the eve of her entry into the competition, Sandrine Martinet was still not certain of being able to participate, before being released by the scales. The Mâconnaise knew then that she could aim for a fifth medal, she who has only left the Games once without a podium: it was in London in 2012, after a fracture of the ankle in the middle of the semi-final, a match that she had finished mentally.

After her quick victory in the quarter-finals, then her stunning semi-final at the end of the morning, Sandrine Martinet knew the hardest part was behind her, in front of her children. “I was very surprised that so many people said ‘Come on Sandrine’, I’m very proud. I’m missing two days of school, but we have the teacher’s agreement.”her daughter smiled. “The public was rather against her each time, in Beijing, in Brazil. So there it’s almost strangeappreciated her husband Nicolas. This medal is all she wanted, so it’s just a bonus now.”

To secure a second Paralympic title after the one in Rio, Sandrine Martinet had to get rid of the Kazakh mountain, a former able-bodied athlete who dominates the category. Delighted by this medal, Sandrine Martinet concluded with a smile: “I hope I got my parajudo buddies off to a good start!”

“Judo has changed my life, whether it’s my husband, my job, my children. The human story that I experience every day thanks to sport is incredible, I don’t want to stop it. I want to continue learning, to live these extraordinary moments.”

Sandrine Martinet, silver medalist in parajudo

to franceinfo: sport

Before making an appointment soon. Because if it is still too early to talk about Los Angeles 2028, the physiotherapist, member of the Army of Champions, does not intend to leave the tatamis anytime soon: “I don’t know how far I’ll go. But I have the means to train and take care of my family, now that it’s becoming professional. Why stop now? I still have fun, so if my body can keep up, we’ll keep going a little longer.”