With tears of joy streaming down her face, Romane Dicko, at the young age of 23, made history during the world championships in Tashkent. For the first time since the championships began, the French national anthem, La Marseillaise, echoed through the venue, a testament to Dicko’s exceptional performance. Winning the title of +78kg world champion on Wednesday, Dicko, a resident athlete of Paris Saint-Germain judo club, exhibited her exceptional prowess. She dominated the day, defeating each of her adversaries by ippon. Everything seems to be moving at a rapid pace for Dicko, who was inspired to take up judo at the age of 13 after witnessing Audrey Tcheuméo’s remarkable achievements during the 2012 London Olympic Games.
Just five years after taking up judo, Dicko not only clinched the title of European junior champion, but also helped her team secure a bronze medal at the Senior World Championships. A decade since she first stepped onto the judo mat, Dicko is now a proud owner of an Olympic bronze medal, which she won in Tokyo in 2021, and as of 2022, a world gold medal.
To reach this level of success, Dicko has demonstrated immense determination and dedication. She kicked off her championship journey by defeating China’s Xin Su, followed by the Netherlands’ Marit Kamps. In the semi-finals, she faced off against her fellow countrywoman, Julia Tolofua, in a closely-contested and special bout. In the final round, Dicko squared off against Brazil’s Beatriz Souza. Despite having faced Souza four times previously, and winning three of those encounters, Dicko managed to secure her victory after only 1’05 of combat. All it took was an initial aggressive attack and maintaining a winning standstill to secure her first-ever world title.
Adding to the joy of her win, Dicko, who also studies mathematics at the Sorbonne in Paris, will share the podium with her friend and fellow competitor, Julia Tolofua. Tolofua managed to secure a bronze medal by defeating Israel’s Raz Hershko in a thrilling match. This is Tolofua’s first world medal, a promising sign of great things to come in the future.
