Judo: Amandine Buchard European champion in -52 kg, third coronation for France

French judoka Amandine Buchard was crowned European champion under 52 kg for the second time in her career, less than nine months before the Paris Olympic Games, Friday in Montpellier.

It brings the Blues a third title in the competition after the victories of Shirine Boukli (-48 kg) and Luka Mkheidze (-60 kg) earlier in the afternoon.

Already victorious at the continental level in 2021, Buchard won in the final against Kosovar Distria Krasniqi, reigning Olympic champion in the -48 kg category.

Dominated for most of the final, the Tokyo Olympic vice-champion ended up finding the opening with a ground movement during overtime.

On the road to the final, Buchard had difficulty dominated the Polish Aleksandra Kaleta, the German Mascha Ballhaus and the British Chelsie Giles, bronze medalist at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

“It wasn't easy today, my start to the competition was a bit difficult. I was very tense and it was a battle with myself,” said Buchard, who said she was “super tense” during the day. “It’s a somewhat painful victory.”