- "The worst place" instead of judo gold: Wagner disappointed
Anna-Maria Wagner lay on the judo mat with her eyes closed, deeply disappointed, biting her hand. Instead of fulfilling her dream of Olympic gold, the German flag bearer was left with immense frustration and tears after her dramatic defeat in the bronze medal match. "My goal was gold, but at the end of the day, I just wanted to go home with a medal," Wagner said, sobbing. "I think fifth place is the worst place you can have."
The two-time world champion lost her bronze medal match against Chinese Ma Zhenzhao in the Golden Score. Earlier, her chance at gold was dashed by a semifinal loss to Israeli world number three and former world champion Inbar Lanir.
With a determined face, Wagner stood in the tunnel before the bronze medal match, vowing, "I'm going to get that medal, I'm going to see this through, from start to finish." However, after no scoring in the first four minutes, Wagner was heavily thrown by the Chinese in just 12 seconds of the Golden Score, landing on her back. "Our sport is wonderful. It can be a second for you, it can be a second against you. But I slept for a second," she said, remorseful.
Wagner, who carried the German flag with basketball star Dennis Schröder at the opening ceremony, traveled to Paris with high ambitions. Three years after winning bronze in both individual and team events in Tokyo, she had her sights set on a medal. She still has a chance in the mixed team event on Saturday. "I'll be ready from tomorrow. It would be nice if we could still go home with a medal," Wagner said. After the team event, she plans not to wear a judo uniform again.
France still has one German judo medal
The German Judo Federation still has one medal at the Games in France. Miriam Butkereit won silver in the 70kg class on Wednesday.
Wagner advanced in the Champ-de-Mars Arena against Leipzig-based Marie Branser, who competed for Guinea, and Japanese Rika Takayama. However, she couldn't come back after her semifinal loss to Lanir in the bronze medal match.
Carrying the German flag over the Seine
The opening ceremony last Friday was a first big highlight for Wagner. When she found out she would carry the German flag, she was overcome with joyful tears. "It was a great experience," she said after the big show on the Seine. She thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere.
Impressive handling of mental issues
Wagner is admired beyond her sport. Her openness about her mental struggles has earned her much respect, in addition to her achievements. After the Tokyo Games in 2021, she fell into a psychological hole, both physically and mentally exhausted. Corona made the situation worse. The exceptional athlete considered retiring early.
Wagner reported in several interviews that she cried a lot and spent days in bed. She chose to make her post-Olympic depression public, explaining that it was a sign of strength. Family, friends, and a sports psychologist helped her out of the valley, and Wagner fought her way back to the top of the judo world.
With the win of her second world title in May in Abu Dhabi, Wagner, who competes nationally with strong Alina Böhm in her weight class, secured her Olympic ticket. Now, she missed the chance to crown her extraordinary journey of the past years with another medal in Paris.
Wagner had high ambitions when she traveled to Paris with the German team, aiming to add to Germany's medals in judo at the Games in France. Despite her bronze medal loss, France still has one German judo medal, which was won by Miriam Butkereit in the 70kg class.
