Saitama (Japan) (AFP)
Olé!
Worn by Gabby Williams and Marine Johannès, the French basketball players, so often abused by the Spaniards in the past, took revenge (67-64) at the Tokyo Games, reaching the semi-finals of the Olympic tournament, with the hope of 'a medal at the end.
Players, members of the management, they all screamed with joy, ran like a single woman in the center of the field to take in their arms Williams, the boss of a stifling end of the match, who, ball in hand, left s' tick off the last seconds marking the capitulation of opponents who made them so doubtful in the fourth quarter, while the blue domination was total during the three previous ones.
"This end of the match is terrible! And it can only be like that a France-Spain in the Olympic quarter-finals. We had moments of weakness but we were able to stand up. They had the will. and that's great, "commented coach Valérie Garnier on France 2.
The joy of the French Marine Johannes after the victory against Spain in the quarter-finals of the Tokyo Olympics basketball tournament, August 4, 2021 Aris MESSINIS AFP
This success against the "best enemies", as described by Garnier, is one of the finest in the history of the France team.
But it will not be worth anything if the Blues do not beat the Japanese on Friday, falling from the Belgians (86-85) earlier.
The finalists of the last Euro, return to the Olympic square, as in London in 2012, with a silver medal at the end, and in Rio in 2016 where they had failed at the foot of the podium (4th).
And they can believe in a final, against Japanese women whose value they know since they gave in against them at the very beginning of the competition.
After this failed start, their survival in the group stage only held on to three points, after the defeat (93-82) in the last group match against the United States, in search of a 7th consecutive coronation.
And as they walked through the door opening onto the quarters through the mousetrap, they knew that a new tournament was starting.
The French Gabrielle Williams in the free throw against Spain in the quarter-final of the Tokyo Olympics basketball tournament, August 4, 2021 Thomas COEX AFP
- Arabesque -
But the draw immediately brought them back to the old song of a duel against Spain, whose favorable record in their confrontations in official competitions was eight wins against three defeats, Worlds and Euros combined.
But at the Olympics there was no antecedent, so the dream was allowed.
And this blue dream lasted thirty minutes against the Spaniards who quickly suffered the assaults of Marine Johannès (11 pts in the first period).
And not content to be successful offensively (53%), the French were very dissuasive, challenging the opposing shots, so much so that their opponents missed almost everything they tried.
The French Sandrine Gruda (l) rejoices after the victory against Spain in the quarter-finals of the Tokyo Olympics basketball tournament, August 4, 2021 Aris MESSINIS AFP
Telling figure, the Roja was limited to 34% success.
But she never let go, gradually increasing her delay by 12 points (33-19) to take the advantage (60-59) in the money-time.
Moment chosen by Gabby Williams to force the fate of the French side, by going for the free throws (63-62) at 1 min 21 from the end.
And what about this arabesque, this shot in exceptional imbalance by Johannès, reappeared at the best time to kill the match, 1 / 10th of a second from the end of a crucial possession 48.7 sec from the buzzer.
A defeat would have been cruel.
This victory is all the more beautiful.
© 2021 AFP