Budapest (AFP)

Back in destructive mode: the French swordsmen one by one crushed their opponents Monday to win the title of world champion in Budapest, a coronation that makes a good head after months of doubt.

In the final against catchy Ukrainians, Daniel Jerent, struggling on his first two stints, reduced the score to 35 everywhere, before the "Bulldozer" Yannick Borel started and did not fold the game, 45 to 37.

"We asked ourselves the question, because Dani + was tired, he said to us," No, I want to shoot my match, get my keys. "That's what he did, I had confidence, I knew that he was going to do it, in my head, I'm confident, "Borel explained in the mixed zone after the new coronation.

"I think that there is room everywhere, ten keys, I was starving, I had to go through the body to get this medal, I think I went on him, "added the 30-year-old Guadeloupe.

Going back to 1990, the French men's team épée now has twelve titles and twenty world podiums, three titles and five Olympic podiums.

Figures that make it the strongest weapon of French fencing, that of winning the Olympics in 2016 in Rio, the only gold after the zero point of London in 2012.

But the title of Budapest conquered by Borel, Jerent, Ronan Gustin and Alexandre Bardenet, is more than a line to a huge list: it has a very special flavor, that of the rebirth after very long months of results at half mast.

- Touches at the European Championships -

"That's what we've been looking for all season, the victory, and then finally, this victory, we have at the end of the year, for the title of world champion," said Stéphane Le Roy , the coach of the swordsmen, moved to tears.

In the space of two controlled games dominated by the head and shoulders against South Korea in the quarter-finals (45-28) and Switzerland in the semi-finals (45-27), they put away in the cupboard of bad archives the past 12 months, including a 11th place at the European Championships.

"It has touched us all season, we have been in difficulty, but I think that all this difficulty, it brings us to be in the final.It's all the work and the questioning that we ask ourselves, coaches and athletes, and the exchange, "added the coach.

The team was deprived for twelve months of Daniel Jerent, due to an anti-doping procedure against him and three breaches of geolocation obligations for unannounced inspections sanctioned twelve months suspension.

Present of all European, world and Olympic adventures from 2013 to 2017 inclusive, the 28-year-old Guadeloupe is a pillar of the group and has been sorely missed during the season.

Back after biting his brakes, he did more than encourage his adventure partners, giving voice to the instructions from the stands for the individual events.

"He likes that, he likes fencing and what he does, and it shows ... Rediscovering this world is magical, it can only be positive," says Stéphane Le Roy.

"There is a very good communication between us, we do debriefings after the meetings, briefings before ... During, we said that no matter who says the message, the important thing is that the message must pass "he concludes.

The swordsmen bring the second gold medal to France at these Worlds after the title of the Fleurettist Enzo Lefort, and the third medal in all, with the money of Pauline Ranvier.

On Tuesday at the close, the scoundrels of the title, and the foil-makers, European champions a month ago, will try to bring an end in apotheosis.

© 2019 AFP