Paris 2024 Olympic Games: Luidgi Midelton European epee champion less than six weeks before the Games

Premier grand championnat et première médaille d’or pour Luidji Midelton. MAXPPP – Jean-François FREY

Le tireur de 25 ans, qui disputait son premier grand championnat, apporte sa première médaille d’or de la semaine à une escrime française accablée par les blessures.

French fencer Luidgi Midelton became the European epee champion on Thursday in Basel, Switzerland, less than six weeks before the Paris Olympics. The 25-year-old fencer, who was competing in his first major championship, brought his first gold medal of the week to a French fencing team weighed down by injuries.

To win his European crown, he overcame none other than the reigning Olympic vice-champion and Hungarian world number 2 Gergely Siklosi (15-13) in the final in the Halle Saint-Jacques, alternating between touches with his foot or glove and iron defense. Relentless in his control throughout the day, the Guadeloupean disgusted the Swiss Ian Hauri in the semi-final (15-7), who defeated the Tokyo Olympic champion, the Frenchman Romain Cannone, in the round of 16.

The massacre

With Ysaora Thibus also suffering from a ligament injury in a knee, Yannick Borel having withdrawn at the last minute due to muscle discomfort in a hamstring, like Sara Balzer affected by back pain, the first French title did not come from a big name. Like these European championships where it is the French supporting roles that occupy the top of the bill.

As evidenced by the bronze of Maxime Pauty in foil, of Jean-Philippe Patrice in sabre and the silver of Auriane Mallo-Breton in épée. "Lulu" Midelton achieved his first major result, a victory in the World Cup in Vancouver (Canada) in December.