• The French women's handball team became Olympic champion for the first time in its history this Sunday, beating Russia in the final. 

  • A meeting that she dominated thanks to a huge defense, as in previous rounds. 

  • In difficulty at the start of the tournament, the Bleues completely changed their state of mind before the match against Brazil, helped by a new battle cry that linked them all.

From our special correspondent in Tokyo,

Sometimes an Olympic gold medal comes down to nothing.

Often even.

For the handball players, crowned this Sunday against Russia for the first time in their history, this little nothing is a harmless exchange between Méline Nocandy and Grâce Zaadi, one day in their club in Metz.

The first, born in Guadeloupe, is surprised to hear the second use the expression "close shop", which she thought was reserved for Creole.

They laugh about it, remember it from time to time, until bringing this little story to the France team.

"It connected us"

The rest is told by Zaadi. “I don't really know why but during these Games we have said it often, with the Creole accent, and Allison [Pineau] and Estelle [Nze Minko] continued the trick. At one point, we said to ourselves that it would be good to change our “one, two, three, France”, and we chose “Fémè boutik”… because we had to close the shop !, she said laughing. . From then on it was better. "We said to ourselves that it sounded good, that it gives pep," adds Pineau.

Today, what was a running gag is therefore the battle cry of the new Olympic champions.

And it suits them wonderfully.

"I imbibed myself in that, we all did it I think," observes Laura Flippes.

We made it the motto of this competition, we had to protect our goal, our goalkeepers.

It connected us, and it represents what this team was ultimately.

"

🇫🇷 WHAT HAPPINESS!

BLUES AT THE TOP OF WOMEN'S HANDBALL!



🤾 What a treat this performance of the France team which dominates the Olympic committee of Russia and gives French handball a historic double in gold # Tokyo2020



Follow the Olympics live ► https://t.co/pCKRdHbCMe pic.twitter.com/UZl6eJvwn8

- francetvsport (@francetvsport) August 8, 2021

Like the boys the day before, the Blues have built their success on enormous defensive intensity.

The poison Anna Vyakhireva was neutralized, and they finally never doubted, helped in the event of a small air gap by the stops of their guardians (three for Leynaud, nine for Darleux, still imperial).

In line, in fact, of their impressive end to the tournament, after a complicated start to say the least - two losses and a draw in four games.

“Our DNA is defense, that's how we win games, and at the start of the competition we took a lot of goals.

We were not on our plate, recalls Estelle Nze Minko.

From Brazil, we said to ourselves that it was time to “Fémè boutik”.

It was our motivation.

And we closed it twice.

"

Krumbholz and the champions of the universe

All the players in the mixed zone insisted on this point, which is essential in their conquest. The famous discussion before the chopper match in Brazil, the promise to finally get things done together. In addition, it's not as if the 2017 world champions and 2018 European champions don't know how to do it. “It's not something that didn't exist, it's something that was not exploited. It was there, it had to come out, ”adds Nze Minko.

No more sales, therefore, from this last group game.

Brazilians, Dutch in the quarterfinals and Swedes in the halfs found the doors closed.

Same punishment for the Russians.

These Blues gave the impression that nothing could happen to them.

Olivier Krumbholz nicely illustrates this state of grace: "If in 48 hours we were to play the title of the universe, we would win it", assures the historic coach of this team.

Our dossier on the 2021 Olympics

In office since 1998, dismissed in 2013 then recalled in 2016, the Lorrainer has now known everything on this bench that he knows by heart.

He knows better than anyone those little things that build great victories.

"What they say to each other always has more force than what we can say to each other and us, the staff," he professes.

Olivier Krumbholz has learned in recent years to step aside when necessary.

This tournament proves him right.

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