Judo: the fantastic Sandrine Martinet!

A fine silver medal for the French judoka

An impressively long career
Sandrine Martinet, supported by the Banque Populaire Bourgogne Franche-Comté, was an excellent choice to bear the flag for the French delegation in Tokyo, and has also proved once again to be an outstanding champion on the tatami. After winning silver medals in Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008, crowned by gold in the 2016 Rio games, Sandrine Martinet won silver again in Tokyo. It’s not, of course, the medal she’d been hoping to bring home but it’s still a truly impressive achievement to remain at the highest level worldwide since 2004… all the more so as she switched categories in Japan in order to compete in the under 48 kilos.
 
In this spectacular final, she displayed the depth of her passion to win and the strength of her determination. Sandrine Martinet was more than equal to her task as a flag bearer; she also offers an example for all the athletes in the delegation to follow.
 
An object lesson for Paris 2024
Ever since she was a young girl, Sandrine Martinet has suffered from achromatopsia, a retinal condition characterized by color blindness and a significant decrease in visual acuity. But she has overcome this disability by sheer strength of will and courage, qualities that she demonstrated once again in Tokyo. She had previously announced that this would be her last competition, to allow her to devote herself fully to her career as a physiotherapist. It goes without saying that the athlete supported by the Banque Populaire Bourgogne Franche-Comté will play a major role behind the scenes as 2024 draws closer, when a great many athletes will benefit from her experience and follow the example she has set for all these years.

Photo credit: G Picout