If the judo dojo at the foot of the Eiffel Tower was any indication, France’s Olympic delegation is poised for thrilling days ahead. On Saturday, two French judokas secured medals amidst ecstatic cheering from the crowd.
Under the watchful eye of President Emmanuel Macron, Luka Mkheidze, who received refugee status in 2010 after fleeing Georgia’s breakaway South Ossetia region, clinched the host nation’s first silver medal, narrowly losing to his Kazakh opponent. The deafening roar from the 8,000 spectators, even after Mkheidze’s defeat, epitomized several hours of fervent support for both Mkheidze in the under 60 kg category and Shirine Boukli in the under 48 kg category, who earlier secured a bronze medal.
“It was magical. The public is insane. The supporters give us positive waves and give the desire to go and massacre everything,” Boukli shared with reporters. “I’m so proud.”
The temporary stadium overlooking Paris’ iconic landmark turned into an intimidating arena for the opposing judokas. The names of the French athletes echoed continuously, with cries of “The fans are here with you” and rousing renditions of the Marseillaise national anthem, leaving no doubt about whom the crowd favored.
In his semi-final victory, Mkheidze drew energy from the crowd, displaying the French flag on his blue judogi, which amplified the home fans’ enthusiasm even more. “The atmosphere is like watching a football match,” commented Laure, a spectator who had come to Paris for the day’s judo events.
Despite the rain and occasional mud earlier in the day, fans queued eagerly for the evening’s busy schedule. Inside the dojo, they waved tricolore flags and pictures of their favorite athletes, while organizers warmed them up with well-known French songs to get them singing and dancing.
Notable figures also showed their support. French soccer legend Zinedine Zidane even requested to speak with Boukli after she won the host nation’s first medal, as Boukli mentioned to reporters.
“For him, the support is very important,” said Mkheidze’s sister, Veriko Pestel. “In Tokyo, there were no supporters because of COVID, and that affected him. With everyone supporting him today, that gave him strength.”
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