Gili Sharir (ISR) was a long warm-up for Agbegnenou who eventually threw her in golden score but against Quadros (BRA) she showed she was fully switched on. She was better still against Fazliu, throwing with a direct tani-otoshi for ippon in the first 30 seconds. And that was Clarisse into her 3rd Olympic semi-final!
At the top of the draw, the current world champion Joanne Van Lieshout (NED) taken by surprise by Jisu Kim (KOR) who was then eliminated herself by a fantastic edition of Katarina Kristo (CRO). The same Croatian had also thrown Takaichi with a seoi-otoshi, putting the Japanese athlete out of the Games.
With Japan gone and the world champion commiserating with her, the top half of the draw gathered extra hope and a tangible feeling of excitement rose. Kristo was the first to reach the semi-final stage and joining her should have been recent world silver medallist Angelika Szymanska (POL) but she had already left in the round of 16 courtesy of Prisca Awiti-Alcaraz (MEX).
The Mexican judoka went on to dispatch long term friend and rival Lubjana Piovesana in the quarter-final with a neat o-uchi-gari in golden score. Mexico was into the semi from a quarter which had also included Britain's Lucy Renshall, dispatched by Piovesana in the round of 16.
On the bottom half of the draw another top seed had to say their goodbyes as Andreja Leski let her intentions be known. She removed Askilashvili (GEO) and Belkadi (ALG) from the draw and then sent World number 2 Beauchemin-Pinard (CAN) to the repechage.
Leski and Agbegnenou have fought 5 times on the World Judo Your and in all 5 episodes the 6-time world champion came out on top. Leski wants to tilt that record and there’s no better place to do it than in the Champs-de-Mars Arena at the Olympic Games.
Repechage
Kim (KOR) vs Piovesana (AUT)
Beauchemin-Pinard (CAN) vs Fazliu (KOS)
Semi-finals
Kristo (CRO) vs Awiti-Alcaraz (MEX)
Leski (SLO) vs Agbegnenou (FRA)