Olympics: Switzerland blows (again) on the French dream

As in the recent Euro football, Switzerland abruptly ended the dreams of French conquest on the soggy course of Izu, after allowing days of training to unfold in hot weather.

On June 28, in the round of 16 of Euro football, the Nati eliminated Didier Deschamps' players on penalties in Bucharest.

Tuesday, the French dreamed of a resounding Olympic double blow.

They could not prevent a spectacular demonstration.

To discover

• The full Olympic program

• The Olympic medal table

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Switzerland, familiar with the MTB podiums at the Olympic Games (10 medals since the introduction of the discipline in 1996, more than any other country) achieved the perfect shot: Jolanda Neff winning in front of her compatriots Sina Frei and Linda Indergand.

Gold, silver, bronze, an unprecedented treble at the MTB Olympic Games.

A solid box that Switzerland had achieved… the last century in men's gymnastics (in 1924 on pommel horse; in 1936, on floor).

At the height of emotion

Jolanda Neff's Gold is the smiling epilogue of a mad chase.

In December 2019, the Swiss was the victim of a serious accident during training.

She had been relieved with a ruptured spleen, collapsed lungs and a broken rib.

Last June, she suffered a broken left hand.

His Olympic dream seemed, on several occasions, to have evaporated.

The postponement of the Olympics and the strength of her determination brought her, to the height of emotion, to the top step of the podium.

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The French, who carried the heavy sign of favorites, had to be content with places of honor: Loana Lecomte (6th at 2'57 ") and Pauline Ferrand-Prévôt (10th at 4'32").

Loana Lecomte, deprived of legs, of rhythm, ran in vain after the sensations.

La Savoyarde likes to hold the reins, go far ahead, strangle her rivals, she was overtaken by the event.

Pauline Ferrand-Prévôt was tied up by a fall in the first lap: "

Jolanda Neff took a left, I took a right, we were going at the same speed and we were arriving at the same time, I said to myself if it doesn't brake, if I don't brake, we hit each other, so I braked, there were rocks, I slipped forward.

My bike went down to the very bottom, I had to walk back down the stone wall to get it.

Very clearly, the title was played there. "

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A verbal pass then opposed the French clan to the Olympic champion: “

I know that Jolanda is quite unpredictable. Technically, she completely disconnects the brain

", against"

I said to myself: 'I have to get away from her (Pauline), because she is running in a dangerous way, you never know what she is doing'. "

For her part, Loana Lecomte (21), a novice at the highest level, carried by an insolent success (four consecutive successes in the World Cup) applied to mitigate the lack of blue success: “

It is not really a disappointment, I gave everything, I did with the form of the day. With my young age, I may have used a little energy with the stress of being there, but I have no excuses.

"Pauline Ferrand-Prévôt came to her aid:"

She's a tall woman, and she will become very tall, but you have to go through it to be at the best in Paris in 2024.

"The French mountain bike, used to shine at the Olympics (at least one medal in the first five editions), loop, as in Rio, its Games empty-handed ...