Can we dream of a new medal record in Tokyo, after the 42 in Rio in 2016 and the 43 in Beijing in 2008?
Dreaming about it yes, why not after all.
Talking about it seriously after a week of competition turns out to be more complicated.
The ambitions of the French Olympic team have just taken a big hit this Friday.
Where, on Friday August 12, 2016, the champagne had flowed freely, France was clearly disillusioned on July 30, 2021.
The changeover on Friday therefore did not take place this year. The comparisons are worth what they are worth and the programs are not exactly the same from edition to edition. However, the Blues had the same number of charms (11) before starting the seventh day of the Olympics. Twenty-four hours later, there were 6 more in Rio (3 in gold and 3 in silver), the start of a nice end of the fortnight. This year, with two new units (13 in total) despite the many podium chances, the tricolor clan is still looking for its harvest day.
Teddy Riner obviously symbolizes this contrast.
Sacred a second time in Brazil, as standard bearer, this time he had to be content with a 3rd place in the repechage.
“Age,” he repeated, age.
Unstoppable argument except that unfortunately, the new generation struggles to take over.
There is Romane Dicko, also in bronze at 21, but how can we not think back to Emilie Andéol's unexpected victory in the same category five years ago?
🗣️ Teddy Riner's reaction right after the bronze medal victory.
Smiling, the tricolor judoka is happy to climb once again on an Olympic podium #Olympic Games
▶ Follow the Olympics live: https://t.co/HnTJu3Tm5y pic.twitter.com/QMxKFv8qlX
- France tv sport (@francetvsport) July 30, 2021
That day, gold had also come from rowing, with Jérémie Azou and Pierre Houin in men's lightweight sculls.
Florent Manaudou (50m freestyle), Jean-Charles Valladont (archery) and the foil players (Erwann Le Pechoux, Jérémy Cadot, Enzo Lefort and Jean-Paul Tony Helissey) had won the silver.
A magnificent harvest to which we had to add the qualification of boxer Sofiane Oumiha for the semi-finals, synonymous with a new medal.
First Friday at Rio 2016: 6 medals, 3 titles 🥇
First Friday at # Tokyo2020: @fflose pic.twitter.com/D0oo0qolXG
- Eurosport France (@Eurosport_FR) July 30, 2021
“Sport is not mathematical”, recalls Brigitte Henriques
This Friday, failures followed one another at the speed of the Shinkansen, the famous Japanese TGV. Swordsmen, yet triple reigning champions, to the four BMX finalists, including sport shooting (Lamolle and Goberville), archery (Barbelin) or canoeing (Neveu) ... Some contingents disappoint and go leave empty-handed, when judo represents more than half of the medals (7 out of 13).
“We have days that start better than today
(Friday, Editor's note)
but overall we are on the estimates that we had made.
We have gold medals that were not necessarily on the athletes planned.
Sport is not mathematical ”, tried to reassure AFP the new president of the French Olympic Committee (CNOSF), Brigitte Henriques.
Officially, the authorities have projected around forty medals and mentioned the figure of 42.
Read also "We feel below everything": the fiasco at the Tokyo Olympics for the French swordsmen, without a podium for the first time since 1992
What if the click was for this Saturday? The French can relaunch with the ladies team saber, team judo, mixed relay triathlon, the rugby 7s players qualified in the semi-finals and the windsurfer Thomas Goyard. In any case, barring a huge accident, and abandonment, the 14th medal will certainly fall with her windsurfing colleague Charline Picon.
