“Your impressive performance commands respect”, Teddy Riner pays tribute to his Japanese opponent at the Paris 2024 Olympics

Teddy Riner a écrit un message en direction de son adversaire. MAXPPP

French judoka Teddy Riner paid tribute to his Japanese opponent Tatsuro Saito, whom he beat twice at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Double Olympic champion at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Teddy Riner paid tribute on his X account (ex-Twitter), this Thursday, August 8, to his opponent in the final of the team competition, the Japanese Tatsuro Saito.

“Dear Tatsuru Saitō, I would like to say, after our last match, that your impressive performance commands the respect of your opponents, my respect. Your determination and fighting spirit impressed me and pushed me to surpass myself. It was an honor to meet you on the tatami", he wrote.

"Failure is an integral part of our progress and often teaches us as much, if not more, than victories. I am convinced that you will come back even stronger. Looking forward to seeing you again, my friend! With all my respect", he continued.

Defeated twice

Defeated twice in the mixed team final by French legend Teddy Riner, the Japanese judoka experienced this double setback as a humiliation.

Tatsuro Saito was on the tatami during the decisive fight against Teddy Riner, which decided the gold medal of the competition.

In a story published on his Instagram account, the Japanese expressed the shame of his defeat. "Thank you very much for your support. I'm really sorry for dragging the team down with a pathetic result, I'm really disappointed. I will undoubtedly bring two gold medals back to Japan in four years", he wrote.

Before we continue, "To be honest, I don't think I can go back to Japan. I'm ashamed and frustrated with myself already." Without forgetting to thank the audience, "Thank you very much for your support. I have read all the messages of encouragement, I have nothing but gratitude, he concluded.