His success at the Grand Slam in Antalya (Turkey), Sunday March 31, will have been decisive. Madeleine Malonga was chosen on Friday by the judo federation, subject to approval by the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF), to complete the French team which will participate in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Malonga, 30 years old, was competing with Audrey Tcheuméo in the − 78 kg category, the only one still unfilled while the federation has already selected thirteen judokas for the Olympics.
“A selection committee was held last Tuesday at France Judo headquarters to determine the athlete who will complete our Olympic selection in − 78 kg. At the end of this, we informed the CCSO [Consultative Commission for Olympic Selection] of our desire to propose Madeleine Malonga to complete the French Olympic team,” announced the federation in a press release. This selection must be validated by the CCSO and the CNOSF executive office on Friday April 12.
“A particularly difficult choice”
France Judo explains that it made its choice after the last competitions which took place on March 24 and 31, respectively in Tbilisi and Antalya.
“This choice was particularly difficult given the sporting value that we recognize in Audrey Tcheuméo [5th in Tbilisi]. Only one place was possible, and Madeleine Malonga demonstrated that today she was the best to represent our country this summer in Paris. »
In Antalya at the end of March, Malonga had sent to the mat, in 1 min 42 s, the German Alina Böhm in the final, the double reigning European champion who had just beaten Tcheuméo the previous week in the match for bronze. The silver medalist in Tokyo had already taken a head start at the Paris tournament in February, winning against Tcheuméo before taking bronze.
