The image made the rounds on social media. While competing in the semi-final of the Paris Grand Slam once morest Japan’s Momo Tamaoki, Priscilla Gneto saw her mobile phone slip out of her kimono and land on the floor following a minute and thirty seconds of confrontation. This extremely rare incident will result in the defeat of the Frenchwoman, in accordance with the rules that state that any object falling from the kimono is synonymous with immediate disqualification.
The referee applied the rule to the letter. The medalist of the London Games in 2012 was therefore forced to fight for bronze, with a key success once morest the Mongolian Lkhagvatogoo at the golden score.
But how can a mobile phone fall out of a kimono during a competition? The incident surprised, but then such a hitch can happen. Indeed, when we look at the regulations, no control excludes the wearing of the mobile off the mat. It’s up to the athlete to get rid of it before getting on the tatami. A small oversight … with unfortunate consequences.
In the warm-up room, the smartphone is very present for competitors. It is used both for personal preparation issues; to listen to music, to scrutinize tables, opponents, and receive strategic information … as well as for organizational issues, such as the order of passage, or the number of the battle mat. In this case, Priscilla’s sister, Astride Gneto, was also competing in the -52 kg category. It can be assumed that the Frenchwoman was following the path of her sister in parallel, an exercise facilitated by the phone.
It is necessary to drop off your belongings before getting on the carpet
Before entering the appeals chamber, judokas are subjected to a complete verification of their attire (the judogi), in order to verify the conformity of it, size of the sleeves, skirt, belt … This check ensures a certain fairness in the seizure of the fabric, but athletes can keep their phones and their personal belongings until the last moments before the confrontation.
It is before getting on the mat that the fighters drop off their belongings, which they will collect at the end of the fight. Some keep their headphones until the last moment, by slipping their mobile inside the kimono jacket. It is also from this place that Priscilla Gneto’s camera is seen falling to the ground.
An incident like the one last weekend in Paris remains infrequent, and it will serve as a lesson to many competitors a little too attached to their mobile phone. For Priscilla Gneto, this “oversight” will certainly have deprived her of a Grand Slam final, but not a medal, since she left with bronze in one of the most important tournaments in the world.
