First Step 2020 Toward Tokyo!
The year 2020 is off to a strong start for the wrestlers of the French Team with a major event this weekend in Nice!
Indeed, the 46th edition of the Henri Deglane Grand Prix of France will be held this weekend at the Leyrit arena in Nice.
This renowned competition, listed on the international calendar, becomes a little more important each year for wrestlers worldwide.
The quality of athletes and the nations that will be present bear witness to this.
There will be the best nations among the 22 represented, notably the United States, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Kazakhstan, to name a few. These major wrestling countries will come with very high-level athletes.
The Nice public will have the opportunity to admire several world champions and medalists, such as Lasha GOBADZE (GR – 82kg – GEO), Stefan REICHMUTH (FS – 86kg – SUI), Artur ALEKSANYAN (GR – 97kg – ARM), Rafig HUSEYNOV (GR – 82kg – AZE), and Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GR – 55Kg – GEO).
These few athletes are a sample of a highly competitive field!
But this shows further the level of excellence that the Henri Deglane Grand Prix of France will offer.
The technical management of the French Team takes advantage of this national competition to field an expanded selection.
This will help position the team in the race for the Games and pre-selections for the OQT, but also to gain experience and confidence in this crucial year!
The French Team wrestlers will include 14 in Freestyle Wrestling and 15 in Greco-Roman Wrestling.
The Freestyle Wrestling team will notably include Ilman Mukhtarov, Akhmed Aibuev, Maxime Fiquet.
On the Greco-Roman side, we will be able to count on Yasin OZAY, Artak MARGARYAN, Leo TUDEZCA, and Evrik NIKOGOSHYAN.
Even if the road to the Olympics is still long for some, others will have to seize the opportunity of this Henri Deglane Grand Prix of France to hope for a selection at the European Championships, which will be held in Rome (ITA) from February 10 to 16, and then the first of the two OQT in Budapest (HUN) from March 19 to 22.
This 46th edition of the “GP” of France Henri Deglane will therefore be a major step in the year for all the wrestlers of the French team!
The technical management of the French team gives us some information on the goals of this competition.
Patrice MOURIER (Director of the EDF): “The Henri Deglane Grand Prix of France is of paramount importance for our French Teams in Freestyle and Greco-Roman Wrestling in this Olympic year. Many very high-level foreign teams have registered, and French wrestlers will have to surpass themselves to win their tickets to the European Championships and then the European and possibly World OQT.”
Didier PAIS (National Coach Freestyle Wrestling collective): “This tournament is the first step in the race for Olympic qualification. Given the present nations, the level of competition will be very high, and we expect the French wrestlers to demonstrate their ability to perform. This tournament will be decisive in our selection choices for the future.”
Christophe GUÉNOT (National Coach Greco-Roman Wrestling collective): “We expect a lot from our athletes because it’s an important step in preparation for the European Championships and the OQT. The countries and athletes present are very strong on the international stage, so it will be a real test for our athletes. This competition will also allow us to determine the athletes who will travel to Rome.”
