Special envoy to Tokyo
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The Olympic medal table
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Romain Cannone, unexpected gold
A little over a month ago, Romain Cannone was preparing to experience the Tokyo Olympics in the costume of a simple replacement within the French épée team.
A logical role for this 24-year-old swordsman more at ease in blending into a collective than in seeking the light of the individual event, an exercise in which he had never yet secured a podium in an international competition.
And then suddenly, the situation changed.
Under the threat of a possible positive test, his teammate Daniel Jérent was dismissed in mid-June by the French Federation to avoid the possible horrors, in a few months or more, of a medal lost on the green carpet.
Read also: The medal table
The misfortune of some always making the happiness of others, Cannone found himself propelled, almost in spite of himself, in the role of a candidate for the Olympic title.
From its modest 47th place in the world, the prospect was giddy.
Except for this swordsman with a style as singular as is his personality and his career, shared between the United States and France but also Brazil where he lived.
Thus, relieved of all pressure, he notably dismissed the 2012 Olympic champion, the Venezuelan Ruben Limardo Gascon, then the 2019 vice-world champion, the Russian Sergey Bida, before finishing his recital by stunning the Hungarian Gergely Siklosi (15 touches to 10), neither more nor less than the reigning world champion.
Read also: Who is Romain Cannone, the Olympic champion that nobody expected in Tokyo?
Hard to beat.
All without the slightest stress, listening to him recount his feat in "
the ten commandments of the Olympic champion according to Cannone
"
mode
: "
You have to play, do not shut yourself up, enjoy, create ... The more you play, the more you are 'fun and the more fun we have.
And I had a lot of fun all day long.
"A first Olympic title for France on its Games, but also for French fencing in individual since Brice Guyart in foil in 2004. A totally unexpected coronation which contrasts with that obtained on Saturday by the Hungarian swordsman Aron Szilagyi (31 years old). ).
His third in a row, an unprecedented feat in the history of men's fencing.
Judo has started its harvest
One, Amandine Buchard, was expected, the other, Luka Mkheidze, much less. Nevertheless, both ended up on the podium. But not quite with the same tears. Come to look for gold, Buchard will leave Tokyo with money in his suitcase. A superb performance, which however left her a little unsatisfied. “
I think I will appreciate this medal someday. Now my dream was to be an Olympic champion. Too bad, I'll try to be in Paris in three years.
However, the identity of her slayer, the Japanese Uta Abe, 21 years old and now an Olympic title to accompany her two world crowns, is likely to put her defeat into perspective. Especially when it comes after an intense finish of more than nine minutes. Mkheidze, he did not hide his happiness to have managed to climb on the third step of the podium for his first Games. Naturalized French in 2015 after leaving Georgia with his parents in 2008, to flee the second war in South Ossetia, the judoka from Tbilisi was not expected so high in the hierarchy, he who had snatched his ticket for the Games during his very last competition, becoming vice-European champion last April.
To read also: The tears of Amandine Buchard, silver medalist at the Olympic Games: "I'll savor it later"
A feat and gadins
Until now, the French men's basketball team had never managed to beat its American counterpart in the Olympic Games.
It is now done since Sunday and a success (83-76) obtained from the first day.
Which in no way foreshadows the following events, but which should inflate confidence in the band in Rudy Gobert.
Even if the famous "
Team USA
" is not, in Tokyo, the ogress it may have been in the past.
Less encouraging, however, is the heavy defeat of the French volleyball players against the Americans in three sets quickly dispatched.
In tennis, the tournament has not yet turned to the bérézina but not far with, already, the exits of the track - among others - of Gaël Monfils, of the double Mahut-Herbert or even of Caroline Garcia.
Disappointment also in fencing, where the Cannone tree hid the forest of the early eliminations of Yannick Borel, Ysaora Thibus or Coraline Vitalis, who could all claim the podium.
Football, it is in survival mode thanks to its success snatched on South Africa (4-3) thanks to a hat-trick from André-Pierre Gignac.
To read also: Tops / Flops France-South Africa: Gignac in boss, Savanier "Zidane" of the Blues, Michelin undermined