We might as well say it right away: we hoped that the day of last Saturday (6 medals) would find an echo, before finally drawing the curtain on these Games decidedly not like the others.
After a difficult night and a complicated awakening, the blue machine was set in motion and the beautiful emotions took over.
Back on a memorable day.
Men's team sports will play for the title
We hoped for one, or even two. Three is the perfect number for our French teams on Thursday, for a record worthy of that of the USSR in 1988. It started with handball players. We said it a little inside, more at the level: the French handball is where we used to see it. By beating (27-23) a tough and talented Egypt, Nikola Karabatic, Vincent Gérard, and their comrades offer their country a fourth consecutive Olympic final. On Saturday, they will meet Denmark, the reigning world champion, who hurt them so much in Rio in 2016.
France - United States: we could not dream of better as a basketball final either.
This will be the poster for Saturday.
The Habs came out against Slovenia on the wire (90-89).
Luka Doncic and his teammates had the match point but Nicolas Batum's last second block sent them to losing hell.
The incredible gesture of the captain of the Blues will remain one of the strong images of this Japanese Olympiad.
🏀 🇫🇷 🇸🇮 France beats Slovenia thanks to a last second against its captain Nicolas Batum to challenge the United States in the final (90-89).
Magic !
# Tokyo2020 #Olympic
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- francetvsport (@francetvsport) August 5, 2021
All that remained for the volleyball players to do was to complete the incredible treble.
After their heroic quarter-final against Poland, double reigning world champion, Laurent Tillie's men found themselves facing Argentina, who had beaten them in the group stage (2-3).
The lesson has been learned and it has been recited in the best possible way.
Three round sets led (25-22, 25-19, 25-22) later, Earvin Ngapeth and his family will play in the first Olympic final for France against Russia, defender of Brazil.
We salivate in advance.
Steven Da Costa, king of the tatami
The 24-year-old karateka warned: “It would be a big disappointment not to come home with the gold.
I'm not going for the money or the bronze ”.
The Lorrain, 2018 world champion and world n ° 1 in his category (less than 67 kilos), flew over the competition to offer his country its 7th gold medal.
Driver on line C of the RER, Da Costa became this Thursday the first Olympic champion in the history of his sport.
"I believed in it, then I no longer believed it," says the person concerned.
I felt like I was ready, then I had my doubts.
And in the end I materialize, it's magnificent.
And that's beautiful.
YOU DID IT AS A BOSS: YOU ARE OLYMPIC CHAMPION 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 @ Steven_DaCosta # FranceKarate # Tokyo2020 #UneSeuleEquipe @EquipeFRA pic.twitter.com/S6cinY0EYR
- FFKarate (@ffkarate) August 5, 2021
Silver Medal for Courage for Kevin Mayer
We thought he was on the verge of abandonment after his back injury on the first day.
But that was without counting on his formidable state of mind.
Kevin Mayer did not win, of course, but he has his place on Mount Olympus.
This medal, the vice-champion in Rio went to seek it far.
Exactly at 73 m 09 with his javelin, a personal best.
Starting 5th before the last five events of this decathlon, the Ile-de-France nibbled his delay without being able to catch up with the Canadian Damian Warner, leader since the first event.
🇫🇷 Kevin Mayer shines in silver ✌ Badly embarked with a recalcitrant back pain, the Frenchman gave everything in the decathlon.
The outcome of the 1500 meters guarantees him a 2nd place on the podium🥈 # Tokyo2020 #JeuxOlympiques
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- francetvsport (@francetvsport) August 5, 2021
Disappointments, anyway
Behind all these satisfactions, the French delegation also experienced its share of bad results today.
In athletics, if the women's 4X100 managed to reach the final, this is not the case for the boys, who came out without glory on the first lap.
Four laps and then also go for the women's 4X400.
The track, that of the bike, was also cruel for Benjamin Thomas, who was stolen from 3rd place on the podium of the omnium… on the last lap of the final event.
A final fatal lap also for Mickael Mawem, who went from leader to 5th in the combined climbing.
And since everything is decided at the end, we will not forget on the 10 km of open water swimming that of Marc-Antoine Olivier (3rd in Rio), passed from 2nd to 6th position.
Splash!
See you tomorrow, with the handball players and basketball players who could bring two new finals.