France's Teddy Riner wins 11th judo world title
Sports
France's Teddy Riner wins 11th judo world title
(AFP) - French judo star Teddy Riner won a record-extending 11th individual judo world championship title in Doha on Saturday, six years after his last.
The 34-year-old beat Russian Inal Tasoev in the +100kg final to become the oldest world champion in history.
"It's been a long time since I heard the Marseillaise (French national anthem) on a world podium, it feels good," he said.
Riner dispatched world number one Temur Rakhimov in 30 seconds in the semi-finals, but needed over-time to defeat Tasoev by waza-ari.
The man from Guadeloupe, who became the youngest ever men's world champion in 2007, will bid for a third individual Olympic gold medal on home soil in Paris next year.
Riner last appeared in the world championships in 2017 and missed out last year through injury.
