Tokyo (AFP)

Disappointing individually, conquering as a team: the French foil players got together again to win the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday, the first Olympic podium for the French women's foil team since the Los Angeles Games in 1984.

In the final, they logically suffered the law of the Russians, who even under the neutral flag due to the suspension of their country for a vast doping scandal, have lost none of their talent, like Lara Korobeynikova, medalist bronze in individual, and Inna Deriglazova, silver in Tokyo five years after her title at Rio-2016.

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The score (45-34) reflects the difference in level between the two teams, at least in this final.

"This medal represents a lot of years of work, on the mental, the physical, everything, everything ... There, we missed our final, but we will not give up: in three years, there are the Games in Paris, "Anita Blaze promised after the medal ceremony, saying she was" disappointed ".

The French will be able to rely on their exceptional semi-final, against Italy, to feed the Olympiad to come.

Pauline Ranvier, vice-world champion in 2019, Ysaora Thibus, vice-world champion in 2018 and Blaze, achieved an extraordinary "comeback" against the Italians, after having counted up to 12 touches of delay, to win (45-43) and secure a podium.

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This silver medal is a great reward for them who, in individual Sunday, did not shine, Ranvier and Blaze being eliminated in the first round and Thibus in 8th.

- "Mental resources" -

Beyond this vengeful aspect, "we are proud to have + typed + in the semi-final the best team in my opinion on paper (Italy, Editor's note)", said Ranvier, for whom "mental resources" were essential in their journey on Thursday.

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In 1980 in Moscow, the date of the only Olympic title for French team foilists, none of its members aligned in Tokyo was born, until Astrid Guyart, the substitute, 38, born in 1983 and entering the end of the final on Thursday .

This long period of famine for the French foil, the “old” of the group has witnessed it.

"This is something I promised myself when I was a junior, along with other athletes who are not here today: I promised myself that the ladies foil would not be the fifth wheel of the coach of the French fencing federation, "said Astrid Guyart.

"We have a revenge to take from London," where the France team finished in 4th place, Anita Blaze told AFP in June.

Les Bleues, who confided how much they had missed the team competition for a year and a half of the pandemic - "we missed it, we missed each other," Pauline Ranvier said Thursday - will have gained confidence for the future.

- Three chances remain -

A welcome confidence for these fencers who have been shooting together for years, working daily with the help of mental trainers, at Insep.

"When I joined this team, we started from afar, said Ysaora Thibus. (After Rio, where the women's foil had not had its team tournament), I promised myself that I would give myself fully to that we have a team medal and here it is, five years later, we all worked together to get up to the level and this medal, we have not stolen it ".

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After Romain Cannone's gold on Sunday in épée and bronze on Monday in saber from Manon Brunet, the France team has already matched its Rio-2016 harvest.

And he has good chances to come with the men's epee on Friday, women's saber on Saturday and men's foil on Sunday.

All contenders for the Olympic podium.

© 2021 AFP