We are not going to blame the French for sleeping at this unfortunate hour during the week, but they missed a nice moment of glory for French sport at the Tokyo Olympics. Confirmed contenders for the supreme medal, the French pair Matthieu Androdias-Hugo Boucheron responded perfectly by taking gold in rowing, in their specialty of the pair. A third coronation for the Blue in these Japanese Games, but where the victory of Romain Cannone in fencing and the coronation of Clarisse Agbégnénou were observable at the beginning of the afternoon and at the end of the morning, the seven hours of jet lag condemned our rowers to be seen live by only a handful of enthusiasts and night owls.
On social networks, some Internet users are trying to cheat sleep by posting messages of encouragement for the two athletes. Member of the French rowing team at the Athens Olympic Games in 2004, Caroline Delas publishes on Instagram the times of the waking hours programmed on her phone. A first for the final B of Élodie Ravera-Scaramozzino and Hélène Lefebvre, a last for the half of the tandem Claire Bové-Laura Tarantola and, in the middle, the crucial reminder to not miss anything from the duo, installed in Lyon.
It is 9:30 am in Tokyo, 2:30 am in Paris, when our two Blues put the first stroke in the water. The deal is clear. Among the favorites of the discipline, the 2018 world champions must be wary of the Chinese boat, but also of the Dutch boat, which stole the Olympic record scratched in the playoffs on Friday. Location of the explanations: the sea forest channel, built for these Olympics, and a time threatened by an invasion of 14 tons of oysters on the floats placed to protect the competitors from the waves of Tokyo Bay.
🇫🇷🥇 OLYMPIC CHAMPIONS !!
The French pair Hugo Boucheron and Matthieu Androdias won gold, breaking the Olympic record!
🔝🤩 What a foot!
Third gold medal for the French delegation.
▶ ️ Follow the Olympics live: https://t.co/lvz3vlDDPW pic.twitter.com/JtYJH1pRyZ
- France tv sport (@francetvsport) July 28, 2021
In the stands, some of the consultants from France Télévisions tip their nose to support the tricolor boat: the former handball player Valérie Nicolas, the voice of fencing Brice Guyart and also the skate specialist Greg Poissonier. A few rows higher, the manager of high performance at the National Sports Agency, Claude Onesta, takes pride of place to see if Matthieu Androdias and Hugo Boucheron will contribute to the French goal of 40 medals.
On the water, Matthieu Androdias and Hugo Boucheron started quickly and took the lead in the 500 of the 2000 meters they had to cover. "We squirt hard. But behind, I make a huge mistake that brings us back in the package, says the first. I can't really get my pallet out (Editor's note: the end of the oar), it stays in the water. It breaks our rhythm. ” It especially allows the rivals of the Blues to get back into the game, then to overtake them. Halfway through the race, France is in third position, 29 hundredths behind China and 12 over the Netherlands.
As commentator for France Televisions, the last French Olympic champion in the specialty Adrien Hardy, in 2004 in Athens, remains optimistic.
“The Dutch had shown us in all the qualifying races that on the third 500, the one where fatigue really started to set in, they managed to have a really efficient glide and they made the gap compared to all the competitors to be then quiet, he blurted out.
The French were warned, they were able to respond to their attack and limit the bleeding.
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"We are throwing ten potatoes from space"
Androdias and Boucheron remain within shooting range of the Dutch. At 500 meters from the line, they have 68 hundredths in sight of the Twellaar-Broenink pair. But the two French rowers have started to increase in intensity and swallow their rivals. 200 meters from the deliverance, the duo are "on a highway to bring back gold", dixit Hardy. But a new error, this time from Boucheron, put a big brake on the ship. "There, I look up and I see the Dutch come back to our height, describes his elder. There, it was not beautiful, but we throw ten potatoes from space. »An obsession in their minds clouded by the effort: that their bow crosses the first line which approaches.
6′00′33 ′ for France, 6′00′53 ′ for the Netherlands. For 20 hundredths, France is Olympic champion. “When you cross the line, you don't even know if you're first or second,” describes Hugo Boucheron. His companion looks up, sees the ranking of the boat on the screen of the canal and the French shout their joy in the stands. He blows, and balances a bestial cry of joy. Relieved. This Olympic title, “it's a star that we placed in the distance and we wanted to believe it,” he says. It takes faith, that's what made us get up every morning to go to the coal ”.
Nearly 10 000 kilometers away, those who have seen them sweat to claim the Grail relish.
At the rowing circle of Lyon, where they are licensed, we warm our voices for a Marseillaise which will sound when the two men climb on the podium, at 3 o'clock in the Rhône, at 10 o'clock in Japan.
“All our French were up.
I saw images of the club, there were a lot of people, greet Matthieu Androdias.
Those who support us do not sleep much since the start of the Games (Editor's note: rowing events are scheduled at night in France), I say a huge thank you.
We put everything into this project, our loved ones made as many sacrifices as we did on this journey.
They have given us tremendous support.
"
The rest of France is still sleeping. She will wake up in a few hours with the images of her new Olympic champions to accompany her coffee and her sandwiches.
