Creteil (AFP)

The first Olympic title is barely consumed when the coach of French handball players, Olivier Krumbholz is already looking forward with great appetite to the Paris 2024 Games, when that of the Blues, Guillaume Gille, still needs to digest the third gold medal won. in Japan.

"There are two essential elements when we talk about 2024: it is in France and we are already qualified, and the surprising element is that we only have three years to prepare for it", underlines Krumbholz in subject of the Olympiad shortened by the coronavirus pandemic.

"One year (of preparation) less", consequence of the postponement of the Tokyo Games from 2020 to 2021, "it is something that concerns me and on which I do not want to be trapped", explained the very experienced guide of the Blue to AFP, on the sidelines of a press conference at the House of handball, in Créteil.

At 63, the Mosellan achieved his goals by winning the last title missing from his record and that of the French women's team: the Olympic gold medal.

Since his return to the head of the Blue, in 2016, after "a small absence of two and a half years" from 2013 to 2015, as he recalled on Wednesday - and the inconclusive mandate of Alain Portes - the women's selection has got its best results.

The joy of the coach of the French handball team, Oliver Krumbholz, after a goal scored against Russia in the semi-final against Sweden at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, August 6, 2021 Franck FIFE AFP / Archives

First Olympic final in 2016, second world title in 2017 (after 2003), first European crown in 2018 and finally the highest step of the Olympic podium.

- "Never satisfied" -

All these trophies have not however quenched the thirst for victories of Krumbholz who had brought France out of nothing during his first mandate from 1998 to 2013. "The truly ambitious are never satisfied," he said.

The joy of the coach of the French handball team, Olivier Krumbholz, and pivot Pauletta Foppa, during the quarter-final against the Netherlands at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, August 4, 2021 Franck FIFE AFP / Archives

The legitimacy of Krumbholz at the helm of the Blue, like that of the elder brother Gille at the helm of the Blues, are reinforced by the Tokyo double.

Even if the question of the extension of the two men had been settled even before joining Japan, according to the federation.

"We are not in contracts, crashes can always happen, but the confidence of the federation in these two men was affirmed before the Olympic Games", insisted the president of the FFHB Philippe Bana.

It seemed difficult to dislodge Krumbholz, who guided the Blue to the twelve medals in their history, in the event of a hard blow this summer during the Olympics.

For Guillaume Gille, 45, the question of the extension seemed less clear before the Olympic deadline.

Promoted coach in 2020, the former center-half had recovered a blue vessel adrift after his elimination in the group stage of the Euro and the ouster of Didier Dinart.

- Gille cleared up the doubts -

Guillaume Gille's first campaign at the helm, at the World Championship in Egypt in January, ended in fourth place.

The result of a promising campaign but which had fueled doubts about the level of play deployed by the French.

The coach of the French handball team, Guillaume Gille, during the match for 3rd place against Spain at the World Championship, January 31, 2021 in Cairo Anne-Christine POUJOULAT AFP / Archives

By guiding Nikola Karabatic and others to the top of Olympus, after a very convincing final against Denmark (25-23), defending champion, Guillaume Gille removed doubts, he who still considers himself "a beginner coach".

The joy of Nikola Karabatic, Nicolas Tournat and the coach of the French handball team, Guillaume Gille, after the victory (25-23) against Russia in the final of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, August 7, 2021 Franck FIFE AFP / Archives

Already Olympic gold medalist, as a player in 2008 and 2012 with the "Experts", the former player from Chambéry still wants to take the time to "debrief" the prowess in Japan before projecting himself.

"We are still delighted ... I admit that I am not as focused as Olivier towards the future, because for me, there is still a need for digestion, to take stock to get the most out of this competition", he explained.

The joy of the coach of the French handball team, Guillaume Gille, in the arms of alier Michael Guigou, after the victory (25-23) against Russia in the final of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, on the 7th August 2021 Franck FIFE AFP / Archives

The next big deadline, Euro-2022 in January in Hungary and Slovakia, will soon arrive.

For the Blue, it will be from December with the World Cup in Spain.

Two new opportunities to shine.

© 2021 AFP