Judo: on the European podium, Joan-Benjamin Gaba gains confidence three months before the 2024 Olympics

Frenchman Joan-Benjamin Gaba, who will compete in the Paris Olympic Games in three months, won the bronze medal in the -73 kg category on Friday at the European Judo Championships in Zagreb. Thanks to his victory by waza-ari against the Finn Valtteri Olin, Gaba won at the age of 23 the first medal of his career in an international championship.

The Frenchman entered the competition by dominating Kavan Majidi, who fights under the banner of the refugee team, before mastering the Moldovan Petru Pelivan, 10th in the world and bronze medalist last year. He then won against the Bulgarian Mark Hristov before losing in the semi-final to the neutral Russian Danil Lavrentev after 4 minutes of golden score. A somewhat frustrating defeat as the Frenchman seemed able to win against an opponent exhausted by his previous fight, which had lasted almost eight additional minutes.

Joan-Benjamin Gaba brings France its third medal of the competition after Blandine Pont's silver and Cédric Revol's bronze on Thursday. Above all, on a personal level, the one who only ranks 44th in the world gives himself a good boost of confidence and confirms that the choice of the selection committee was the right one, while in his category, Benjamin Axus was better ranked in the world hierarchy (32nd). But perhaps not with the same potential for progression as Gaba, who will try to confirm it during the next World Championships in Abu Dhabi (May 19 to 24). A new podium there could well change everything in terms of ambition for the Frenchman...