Tokyo (AFP)

After the immense frustration of the silver medal at Euro-2021, the French basketball players are storming the Olympic podium in Tokyo, with the hope of experiencing an epic similar to that of the silver "Braqueuses" in 2012, but will first have to extricate themselves from a complicated group.

The immense challenge at the start of the summer was known to everyone: to compete in two major competitions - a European Championship and then the Olympic Games - in the space of seven and a half weeks.

But the defeat in the final of Euro-2021 against Serbia, the fifth in a row on the last step towards the continental coronation, hurt the morale of the Blue, who hoped to return from Valencia (Spain) into alchemists, transforming the money Golden.

"As soon as we met a week later, we tried to take everything we knew how to do good to put it back to the Olympics and correct what we did not know how to do well to get a medal "in Tokyo, underlines Iliana Rupert, who will play her first Olympic Games at 19 years old.

The preparation match played on July 10 at Paris-Bercy in front of nearly 9,000 spectators and especially the nice success against Spain (80-75) made them smile again.

- Short format -

"Bercy allowed us to switch, because we found energy and intensity. Today, we learned lessons, we worked on things that had to be adapted, corrected and improved", ensures for his part the coach Valérie Garnier.

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In the first round, the French women will have to start Tuesday against Japan, host country with atypical play and with a very early schedule, at 10:00 am in Tokyo (3:00 am French).

"The Japanese have kept their identity. It goes very quickly on the ground, it shoots, it's very fast. It's a style of play that we are not used to. It's a team that can or that is going to annoy us, "warns Valériane Vukosavljevic.

In 2016, the defeat against Japan in Rio (defeat 79-71 in the last group match) was of no consequence, while such a result in Tokyo would greatly jeopardize the chances of qualifying for the quarterfinals, in a shortened format (four groups of three and no longer two groups of six) where each basket will count.

After Japan, the Blue will face Nigeria on Friday and especially three days later, they will finish their first round against the invincible Americans, who have not lost in international competition since the semi-final of the 2006 World Cup (defeat against the Russia), or 63 straight wins.

- Strong domestic sector -

Present for the third time in a row at the Games, the French women hope to once again find the last four, as in 2012 and 2016, and above all to climb on the podium, to redo the coup of London when the Braqueuses of Céline Dumerc had brought back the silver.

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"It's a French team that has matured a lot through competitions in recent years. We have a group that has lived well together for a very long time," said Diandra Tchatchouang.

In 2016, already without Dumerc who had to give up the Games a few weeks before the start of the tournament, the players of Valérie Garnier had lost in the semi-finals against the Americans and had seen the Serbs bar their way to the Olympic podium.

This year, France has assets to promote, particularly in the domestic sector, with the experience of Miyem, Helena Ciak and Sandrine Gruda, and the youth of Alexia Chartereau and Rupert.

In the end, the preparation was turned upside down by the injury (right ankle) of the holder Olivia Epoupa after less than two minutes in the first match of Euro-2021 against Croatia.

In this key position, the young Marine Fauthoux (20 years old) and Alix Duchet (23 years old) will share the playing time.

© 2021 AFP