Tokyo (AFP)
The third day of competition of the 2020 Olympic Games began very early Monday in Tokyo with disillusionment for France, with the failure of Vincent Luis who was nevertheless one of the favorites of the triathlon and who had to settle for 13th place.
Only a few hours after the first French gold medal thanks to the unexpected Romain Cannone, crowned in épée fencing, Luis was, him, eagerly awaited in triathlon.
The French, who is one of the top names on the world circuit and collects titles, approached the Tokyo meeting among the favorites.
Having emerged in the lead after swimming, the two-time world champion was still in the peloton of favorites after the 40 km of cycling, but under oppressive heat (30 °), he let the best go after the first of the four 2.5 km running laps.
On the next lap, it was Dorian Coninx who let go in this race of attrition and left Briton Alex Yee, New Zealander Hayden Wilde and Norwegian Kristen Blummenfelt to explain themselves for the podium.
Luis finished best French, but in 13th place, 1 min 20 sec after the new Olympic champion, Kristian Blummenfelt.
Coninx finished 17th and Leo Bergère 21st.
The French triathlon team is still awaiting its first Olympic medal since the appearance of the discipline at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, but it could take its revenge in the mixed relay, scheduled for Saturday.
- Bronze in "ping"?
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In the meantime, the chances of the tricolor podium will rest on the shoulders of Marie Wattel who will swim at 10:30 am local (03:30 am French) her first Olympic final in the 100 m butterfly, after having signed the second best time in the semi-finals, a French record shattered in the passage.
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The 24-year-old Frenchwoman, crowned European distance champion in the spring, atomized her personal best by more than eight tenths on Sunday.
"It's also proving to myself that I can be one of the best in the world, despite the fact that there is a huge density in the 100m butterfly. I'm so happy to have raised my level to be able to do it. part, "hoped the sprinter who trains in Loughborough, England.
It will also be the first of the 4 finals expected for American Katie Ledecky in the 400 freestyle.
Among the other chances for French medals is obviously Jordan Sarrou, mountain bike world champion, if he has recovered from his big fall in training, but also judo, which has already obtained two medals in two days (Mkheize and Buchard) and fencing, with sabers and foils.
To follow also the mixed doubles tournament of table tennis where Emmanuel Lebesson and Jian Nan Yuan will try to win bronze at 8:00 p.m. local (1:00 p.m. French) against the Taiwanese Lin Yun Ju and Cheng I Ching who are nothing less than the numbers 1 worldwide in the specialty.
A medal would be an event for the French "ping" which did not win in all and for all only two at the Olympics with the silver for Jean-Philippe Gatien in Barcelona in 1992 and the bronze in doubles for Gatien and Patrick Chila in Sydney.
© 2021 AFP