It is an event in the world of fencing.
And a major disillusion for France.
Favorites of the team épée event of the Tokyo Olympics, the Blues were out as soon as they entered the quarter-final against Japan on the night of Thursday to Friday.
The Japanese, winners of a first play-off against the United States to enter the final table, surprised (45-44) the tricolor trio composed of Yannick Borel, the recent individual gold medalist Romain Cannone and 'Alexandre Bardenet.
An unexpected setback for a team that has won all the gold medals in the specialty since the Athens Olympics in 2004. We have to go back to 1992 and the Barcelona Games to find any trace of a podium without France in sword. teams. 29 years later, the kings of the discipline have collapsed.