The French women's handball team qualified for the final of the Tokyo Olympics on Friday by beating Sweden (29-27).
A victory which confirms the renewed momentum of the Blue in this competition, which they had started badly.
Five years after their final in Rio, the players of Olivier Krumbholz feel this time better equipped to win their first Olympic title.
From our special correspondent in Tokyo,
The women's co-sport teams really don't have it easy in these Olympics.
Put yourself in their shoes.
Each time, the next day they play boys, who put hair on the whole of France with monstrous three out of three.
"It puts the pressure," laughs Cleopatra Darleux.
We say to ourselves that we absolutely must do the same!
But it's cool, of course, it's talking about us.
"
If the basketball players lost on Friday evening, the goalkeeper of the Bleues du hand can smile.
A little earlier, she delivered a grandiose match to allow her team to beat Sweden (29-27) and to stretch for a few more hours the insolent success of the French BHV in Tokyo.
🗣️ "Now I just want the gold, we're almost there, there's only one game left ... it's going to be a long time!"
🤾 And one more final for French team sports 🇫🇷
After the hashtag #TousEnFinale, we launch #TousEnOR?
Follow the Olympics live ➡ https://t.co/vcD3RfzQAE pic.twitter.com/v7FEGs8u37
- francetvsport (@francetvsport) August 6, 2021
This victory for the players of Olivier Krumbholz bears the seal of a collective which has definitively found itself after a start of competition in reverse. On the edge of the precipice before the last group match against Brazil, they came together to evacuate the tensions and unspoken words that prevented them from freeing themselves. “We need this cohesion, to make it harmonious. We even more than other groups, I have the impression, because we really have profiles like that, explains Darleux. Me, at the start of the competition, I didn't feel very well. We withdraw a bit in these cases. We all gave in, it made us feel good. "
No need to have bac + 8 in a small sticky ball to see the metamorphosis.
The Blues first crushed Brazil (29-22) to move into quarters, where they put a good temper to the Dutch, reigning world champions (32-22).
“We started out in a bad mood, but we had the strength and the character to take control of ourselves,” notes Grâce Zaadi.
It was a little tighter against Sweden, especially because of an attack that we will describe as muddled during the first 20 minutes, but once in front (11-10 in the 25th), we felt at home a great serenity.
Direction the final, and the assurance of getting on the box.
Gold and nothing else
“We had a winding journey.
I don't know if we were put in difficulty or we put ourselves in difficulty, but this medal tastes really delicious, ”says Béatrice Edwige.
There was no question this time of being satisfied with the money, as she had unconsciously done five years ago in Rio.
At the time, this Olympic final was almost a miracle, after four years in the cellar, marked by bitter failures and the shattering departure of Olivier Krumbholz, who will finally be recalled a few months before the Games to save the homeland.
“It was the first Olympic medal for the women's hand, and it was already a crazy thing for us to be in the final,” recalls Zaadi.
There, we arrived with the desire to go for gold, not a medal.
We are more conquerors.
"
Cleopatra Darleux confirms, a little in spite of herself.
His first reaction, when we ask him his feelings after this half: “Mixed”.
Understanding is very cool, but it's not over yet.
"I want to win the final," launches the goalkeeper.
In their heads, the adventure cannot end otherwise.
After their world title in 2017 and European title in 2018, the Blue, recovered from the sinking of the 2019 World Cup in Japan, feel more united than ever, strong in a "soul" (dixit Pineau) forged throughout the year via a WhatsApp group on which they take news, congratulate each other, integrate the latest arrivals, and which continues during gatherings with werewolf parties and musical discovery sessions.
Krumbholz the philosopher
"We are all very different, but on a daily basis we pay attention to adapt to the tastes of each one", observes Pauletta Foppa, the youngest of the band (20 years old).
On the other side of the chain, the historic Allison Pineau (32) adds: “In Rio, we started the story of a bunch of girls.
It continues today.
"
"We are convinced that a team is a human adventure," says the coach, who has also evolved well in recent years.
The most important is not the result but the path to get there, the richness of the relationships.
I try to be a philosopher and pass that on to them.
We will be able to calmly prepare for this final.
The players have had the title in the back of their minds for a while.
"
Our dossier on the 2021 Olympics
A title that would be historic, of course.
And who would place handball even more at the top of French sport, after all the victories of the boys.
“When I was younger, I watched them, they won everything,” says Darleux.
They were above, and I want us to take this path.
We had lots of medals, not all the time in gold, but we have been really present in recent years.
We must permanently install the women's hand at the top.
“From our point of view, it has already been done, but we never say no to an Olympic title that is reaching out to us.
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