The French judo team is facing a challenging performance at the 2026 World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, with only two bronze medals secured halfway through the competition. This result falls far short of the federation’s goal of securing four gold medals and the 10 medals the team earned at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The struggles of athletes like Joan-Benjamin Gaba and Clarisse Agbegnenou have highlighted the difficulties French judo is encountering in maintaining its status among the world’s top nations. Stéphane Nomis, president of the French Judo Federation, has already started rethinking strategies two years ahead of the Los Angeles Olympics. Maxime-Gaël Ngayap-Hambou, Aleksa Mitrovic (-90 kg), and Clémence Emé (-70 kg) are competing in Baku this Thursday under significant pressure. The French team’s performance in the first four days of the competition has been notably below their usual standards, especially given their strong showing at the Paris 2024 Olympics. “In judo, you are never sure of anything,” Nomis said on Wednesday. “You have superb European Championships [12 medals, including 2 golds, in April in Tbilisi], people are good, they are ready. At least, everyone tells you they are. But the first four days are bad. We took a beating today, I admit.” Agbegnenou and Gaba have been eliminated from contention. Agbegnenou, returning to competition seven months after the birth of her second child, was expected to win her seventh world championship title in the -63 kg category. However, she struggled in both the quarterfinals and repechage rounds, admitting she was “nothing” in her matches. Gaba, the reigning champion in the -73 kg category, was eliminated early on Tuesday, just recovering from a serious shoulder injury. These setbacks have added to the team’s difficulties. Halfway through the Baku World Championships, France has only two bronze medals, with Shirine Boukli in -48 kg and Dayyan Boulemtafes in -73 kg. The federation had set a minimum goal of four gold medals, a target now seeming increasingly out of reach given the strength of the current competition. With Teddy Riner, a key figure, absent due to injury, the French team will rely mainly on Romane Dicko and Léa Fontaine (+78 kg) on Saturday, as well as the mixed team event on Sunday, to try to improve their standing. Stéphane Nomis has indicated that there may be changes in the wake of these World Championships. “I don’t know if I will change everything, but there are changes to be made, there is work to be done and a common spirit to be re-established,” Nomis said. “We feel less team spirit than at the Olympics. Perhaps there is a lack of harmony between certain clubs and the federation. Perhaps we need to realign all this so that everyone is moving in the same direction. It’s not quite the case today, no need to hide it.” This poor performance in Azerbaijan could have real effects on the organization of judo in France, particularly as the country prepares for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.