The Frenchwoman won her third European title on Friday thanks to her victorious final against the Portuguese Catarina Costa, while Luka Mkheidze won his first major title in Montpellier.
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At home, the French judo team had a great start to the European Championships in Montpellier. In the five categories entered on Friday November 3, three French people reached the final. The first of them, Shirine Boukli, won against the Portuguese Catarina Costa in the golden score, winning a third title of European champion under 48 kg. In the process, Luka Mkheidze obtained his first major title against the Ukrainian Dilshot Khalmatov in the under 60 kg category. Amandine Buchard must also fight in the evening for the under 52 kg title.
In a remake of the final of the last edition, Shirine Boukli dominated her Portuguese rival. She started the fight with a waza-ari, countered by another waza-ari from her opponent. It was ultimately again on this action that the Frenchwoman won. Luka Mkheidze, bronze medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, also won on waza-ari against the Ukrainian Dilshot Khalmatov in four regulation minutes.
He will be accompanied by another Frenchman on the podium of less than 60 kg, since the young Romain Valadier-Picard (21 years old), hopeful of French judo, dominated the Belgian Jorre Verstraeten, disqualified for a third shido in the golden score of their fight for the bronze medal.