Jousts in Sète: Anthony Principato, newcomer at the table of champions

Dans sa deuxième année chez les lourds, Anthony Principato a connu l’émotion u tour d’honneur. MIDI LIBRE – Jérôme Belluire

The member of Les Pêcheurs won, this Sunday, July 28, during the Lance Amicale Sétoise tournament, the first victory of his young career among heavyweights.

The League is doing the roller coaster. This Sunday, a very rare event, the championship actually crowned an eighth player in as many days. After Jammes, Cuciniello, Aprile, Molto, Herry, Montels and Wolff, it was Anthony Principato who joined the not very exclusive club. And for him, it’s a first.

After having largely proven himself in a senior championship which crowned him in 2022 (with the bonus of Saint-Louis in middleweight), the Sétois landed in 2023 among the heavyweights. Although he has scored some nice shots since then, he had never experienced the emotion of a Sunday victory lap in the premier category.

Tough competition

So it's done, at the end of a tournament that didn't lack contenders. At the end of the qualifiers, twelve men were still in the running. And the rematches started strong. Sylvio Cuciniello opened the show in style with a superb spear shot against Anthony Bondon, imitated in the process by Loïc Cerrato against Jérôme Lognos, then by Théo Lognos against Alain Le Bail. It was less spectacular between Olivier Le Couteur and Clément Périlhou, but the president of the SNJA has resources.

The semi-final against Fabien Rojas. MIDI LIBRE – Jérôme Belluire

The following fights were disputed, Anthony Principato, Fabien Rojas and Olivier Le Couteur had to work to eliminate Jérôme Ortega, David Aprile and Théo Lognos.

No opponent in the final

In the semi-final, the first blow of the lance was the right one for Principato. The ardor of youth got the better of Fabien Rojas' experience. The Fisherman had just won the tournament but he didn't know it yet. In the other half, Loïc Cerrato, who had been brilliant until then (notably during a remarkable pass to throw Sylvio Cuciniello), was unable to overcome the imposing Le Couteur. But both ended up in the water, to the great delight of Anthony Principato.

The lap of honour was filled with emotion, the arrival of David to hug his son on the floor obviously didn't spoil anything…