French handball players crowned in turn Olympic champions

The “Battantes” are above all the winners. Five years after their defeat in the final at the Rio Games, the French won the first Olympic title in their history, Sunday August 8 in Tokyo, taking a golden revenge on the Russians (30-25). Already world (2017) and European (2018) champions, they won the only trophy they still lacked.

In more ways than one, this success concludes a dream weekend for French handball. The day before, the French men’s team also obtained the gold medal, against Denmark, the third after those of 2008 and 2012.

“Who does not jump is not French!” “, exulted the triple Olympic champions, in the stands on Sunday to congratulate the women’s team. The end gong had not yet sounded as the warden Cleopatra Darleux was already greeting them in return, from the floor. At Yoyogi Stadium, all the male staff had taken their places, singing the Marseillaise, filling the closed door caused by the Covid.

“I was crying on the field already “, Recognizes Pauline Coatanea, very moved. After a complicated first period (15-13 at the break), the French took off, going so far as to lead by 6 goals (23-17, a quarter of an hour from the end). “We had developed a battle plan and we kept it to the end. The work paid off ”, continues the wingman. The player thinks about the video analysis sessions performed ” every day ” since the start of the competition, to these “Questioned”, after a complicated start.

“The best defense in the world”

Allison Pineau’s teammates know it, they come from afar. Their first four games? Two defeats (including one against Russia), a draw and a victory. It was before three straight victories: against Brazil (29-22), to escape elimination in the first round; against the Dutch world champions (32-22) in the quarter-finals; against the Swedes (29-27) in the semi-finals; then against the Russians for the last game of the summer. The most beautiful of all in the history of Les Bleues, and for a long time to come.

“ We expected a very hard, very tough match, we knew that the Russians are very powerful, said captain Coralie Lassource after the final. We gave our all to win this title, we won it with style, with rage and especially with our heart. “

The victory is all the more tasty as the French women had experienced setbacks before the Olympic Games, with the forfeit of their captain Siraba Dembélé as well as full-backs Orlane Kanor and Aïssatou Kouyaté. Not to mention the injury, during the competition, of Alexandra Lacrabère.

The match is also the last of the goalkeeper Amandine Leynaud in the France team. At 35, “Doudou”, his nickname, planned to stop on this coronation. She did everything to get it, until she crashed into a panel behind her cages to ensure a stop, shortly before the break.

Euphoric, Béatrice Edwige believes that France has “The best defense in the world”. A collective success, she insists: “We are not each in our corner, when you see us laughing, we do not pretend, everything is sincere with us. “ Olivier Krumbholz adds, jokingly: “If in 48 hours we had to play the game for the title of the universe, we would win it!” ”

“A human adventure”

Back in 2016 to win everything with these Blue, the coach had already won the 2003 World Cup with a previous generation. “A team is a human adventure, he recalls. The most important thing is not the result, it is the route to get there, it is the richness of the relationships that we can have. ”

“We will need 14 bosses who manage their game, who do not overplay”, declared Grâce Zaadi before the final, including holders and substitutes. “I can see how far I have come and the privilege of being there, with this group”, appreciates Allison Pineau, 32, one of the most experienced. “For 2024, I think she will not let go! “, already hoped his young teammate Pauletta Foppa, about the next edition of the Games in Paris.

Seeing the same delegation win both the Olympic tournament for women and men has not happened since the days of the Soviet Union. The USSR, in 1976 at the Montreal Games, then Yugoslavia, in 1984 at the Los Angeles Games, had already achieved a similar performance.