Tokyo (AFP)
The medal is within reach of the Blues.
French handball players rocketed to the semi-finals of the Olympic tournament at the Tokyo Games, largely outperforming Bahrain 42-28 on Tuesday.
"This is the final packaging, the moment when we will be able to compete for the medals. At the Olympics, being in this circle is what matters", appreciates Guillaume Gille, the coach of the Blues.
After this offensive festival, they will face Thursday the winner of the quarter-final between Germany and Egypt, who meet in the evening in Tokyo (8:45 p.m. local, 1:45 p.m. French).
"Since the start of the adventure of this new staff, we have always pointed to Tokyo with the ambition to win the Olympics, supports the coach. But once again between ambition and achievement, there are many fights to to win."
These fights, the France team is seasoned there.
At the Yoyogi stadium, she will play her fourth Olympic semi-final in a row and, as in 2008 in Beijing, Nikola Karabatic, Luc Abalo and Michaël Guigou are still making the floor squeal.
The last three of the "Experts", only one game away from a fourth Olympic medal now, even started against the surprise guest of the quarter-finals, Bahrain, present for the first time at the Olympic tournament.
It is moreover Michaël Guigou who opened the brand.
Proof that the last fires of "Experts" are still burning even if the trio is more than supported by a new generation of talents.
The connection between the two left-handers Nedim Remili and Dika Mem has worked wonders again.
The latter signed four of the first eight goals of the Blues never worried.
And entering from the first quarter of an hour Kentin Mahé, surgical (9/10), was delighted.
After the first twenty minutes of play (12-11), Guillaume Gille's men widened the gap until returning to the locker room with a lead of seven goals (21-14).
"The fact of having made the match easy allowed us to make rotations", underlines the pivot Ludovic Fabregas.
- The changing of the guard -
In the 45th minute after entering Valentin Porte's first goal, all outfielders had scored.
This is to say the superiority of the Blues against this Bahrain team, made up of players all playing in the Gulf and even almost all in the country.
She had won only one match in the first round, against Japan.
Guillaume Gille took the opportunity to offer his first minutes of play to Romain Lagarde, integrated into the selection after the injury against Norway by Timothey N'Guessan, forfeit until the end of the tournament.
"I was trying to keep in shape at the hotel," says the rear of Aix-en-Provence, necessarily "disappointed for Tim".
"It feels good to live with the team at the Village because I had little time with them. We spent our time in our room only going out for matches and training. Access to the weight room we were only allowed after our 14 days of quarantine. "
Hugo Descat, also affected with the groin muscles against Norway, was not on the game sheet.
"If he has remained in contact with the group, it is because we hope that he will be able to be at our disposal again, explains Guillaume Gille. But all that remains very hypothetical."
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