Luka, Team ENGIE's 25-year-old judoka, will take part in the Olympic Games this summer.
After a bronze medal at Tachkent Grand Slam a few weeks earlier, it was, without a doubt, his performance at the European Championships (16-18 April in Lisbon) that took Luka into the limelight and won him his ticket to Tokyo.
In the quarter-finals on 18 April, Luka gave a fine performance to beat Walide Khyar, his French team mate and main rival for the only qualifying place in the -60kg. After a semi-final victory right at the end of the fight, Luka faced Spain's Francisco Garrigos in the final. It was a very well-matched fight that remained undecided throughout, but in the end Luka lost on ippon in the golden score. The Team ENGIE judoka won a very well-deserved silver medal and was crowned European runner-up in the lightweight category (-60kg).
Two days after the results of the European Championships were announced and less than 100 days before the Olympics, the French Judo Federation ended the suspense by announcing the list of selected judoka. A fabulous reward for Luka, who is currently a member of Sucy Judo club in Val-de-Marne. The Team ENGIE athlete was born in Georgia and became a French citizen in 2015.
Luka joins other Team ENGIE members who have officially qualified for the Tokyo Olympics to date: Madeleine Malonga, Fabien Lamirault, François Pervis and Raphaël Beaugillet. On 24 July, Luka will take to the tatamis to try to bring home an Olympic medal, perhaps even the gold!
We will all be supporting him on 24 July!
Team ENGIE: sharing our energy!