The French women's pursuit team qualified for the Tokyo Olympics on Wednesday (July 24 - August 9), taking 9th place in the Berlin Track Cycling World Championships.
This is a first in this specialty for French women - it has only appeared on the Olympic program since the London Games in 2012.
The French Clara Copponi, Valentine Fortin, Coralie Demay and Marie Le Net had to finish before the Belgians to validate their Olympic ticket, which they did for ... 83 hundredths.
However, this 9th place only gives the French women access to the final table of the Berlin Worlds, which this Thursday brings together only the eight best teams.
"In Tokyo, the medal will be unplayable but we will set a time goal, around 4'15", "admits Steven Henry, the national coach
🗣️ "Very happy with this qualification!"
Despite the disappointment in the time achieved, which does not qualify for the team pursuit for the rest of these World Championships, @ClaraCopponi has retained the essential: the ticket for Tokyo 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/qMeDJdJoJI
"We are disappointed with our time because we are capable of much better, said Marie Le Net after the race, but we have just gone to get what we have been looking for since the start of winter (Editor's note: the qualification Olympic) and it's a relief ”.
"Our qualification comes to erase everything," added her teammate Clara Copponi, also admitting that with a time of 4'21''417, more than ten seconds behind the best in qualifications - United States, Great Britain -, l the French team was far from its potential.
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"It's a relief," said Steven Henry, national coach at L'Equipe.fr. I think they were a little overwhelmed by emotion. They were better than that. Now we know where we stand for the Olympic Games. The difference with certain teams is very important. In Tokyo, the medal will be unplayable but we will set a time goal, around 4'15 ''. They are all young, one can imagine that they will still be there in four years (Editor's note: for the Paris Olympics). "