Beijing (AFP)

Third in the World Cup Sunday in Beijing, the French basketball team has reason to hope to win next summer in Tokyo the Olympic medal that escapes since the final of the year 2000.

The ticket already in your pocket

By finishing second European nation of the World Cup, France has secured its place in the Olympics 2020. It will spare the pangs of a qualifying tournament, a month of the Games, which necessarily leaves traces even if successful. This is partly how the Blues had failed in 2016 in Rio, worn by their TQO disputed a few weeks before in the Philippines. "It's a huge advantage, the pre-Olympic is going to be the war, it's going to be a real preparation for the Games," said coach Vincent Collet.

The Parker page is turned

It was not easy to assume the legacy of Tony Parker, the best French player in history (who was in the stands in Beijing Sunday to support the Blues). After the failure of the Euro-2017 (round of 16), the team proved that it could continue to win medals without the big old. "It's the first time, at World-2014 (bronze), there was no Tony or Nando (De Colo) but there was Boris Diaw, who had been a big brother and had been of great importance in the group, on the pitch and in the management, "says the coach, who emphasizes" the ambition "of his players. It is this group that will also remain the first to beat a US team 100% NBA, in the quarterfinals.

A group has formed

All of the players, and the coach, emphasized the excellence of the group's commitment from the start of preparation until the bronze medal match. NBA players Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier, Nicolas Batum and Frank Ntilikina have answered the call and this will undoubtedly be the case also for the Olympic goal. "We have to go back to what we did this summer, how to stay together, to fight as a team and do the same thing next summer," said Nando De Colo.

A quartet of leaders

Instead of a pair of leaders, with Tony Parker and captain Boris Diaw, retired since last year, the team of France now works with four leaders: those of the attack, Evan Fournier and Nando De Colo , and those of the defense, Rudy Gobert and Nicolas Batum, the latter assuming the role of captain. "Leadership is better shared, we have four leaders, and the most important thing about this tournament is that they have worked together and we have managed to find a balance that has allowed them to express themselves to the best of their ability." , welcomed the coach Vincent Collet.

A defense always at the top

After the parenthesis of 2017, the Blues have found their defensive values, those that had made all the success of the generation Parker. "It's our identity," says Collet, who intends to persevere in this direction. Their two defeats in China, where they were overall excellent in this area, are explained by a slight easing of pressure against Australia (100-98) in the second round and against Argentina who dominated them on their own. game in the semifinals, great regret of the fortnight.

© 2019 AFP