The salto of Aït Saïd
It was the first image of the French delegation during these Olympics.
After five long years of waiting, the French athletes gathered inside the Olympic stadium in Tokyo to parade, as tradition dictates, on the occasion of the opening ceremony of the Games of the XXXII Olympiad.
To mark the entry into the scene of the French, Samir Aït Saïd, one of the two tricolor flag bearers (with Clarisse Agbégnénou), stood out by performing a back somersault which contrasts with his tragic exit from Rio, after a open tibia-fibula fracture.
What an entry into these Games!
The resilient somersault of Samir Aït Saïd, the colors 🇫🇷 floating proudly above a radiant Clarisse Agbegnenou, this collective force on the move ... images already engraved in the history of @ EquipeFRA!
pic.twitter.com/c1sdxfheGR
- FranceOlympique (@FranceOlympique) July 23, 2021
Cardboard beds
First (small) somewhat funny controversy of these Olympics: the famous cardboard anti-sex beds.
In the end, it would seem that they are more pro-planet than anti-sex, as several athletes have jumped several on them to demonstrate that they are quite robust.
And not uncomfortable either.
Nicolas Batum's counter assassin
Perhaps THE sporting gesture of these Games, on the French side.
In an unbreathable end of the match in the semi-finals of the men's basketball tournament, “Batman” spread his big wings to come and scotch Klemen Prepelic, almost buzzing, against Slovenia (90-89).
An anthology against the last possession of one of the most important matches in the history of French basketball, since it allowed the Blues to face the huge Team USA for the title.
🏀 🇫🇷 🇸🇮 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
The funny canassons
The star of the Olympics is not Caeleb Dressel, Marcell Jacobs or Nikola Karabatic but this poor "Saint Boy".
This horse, drawn by lot by the favorite of modern pentathlon Annika Schleu, became known around the world by refusing to jump the obstacles.
Her case has even gone beyond the framework of sport since the coach of the German pentathlete was excluded from the Olympics for having hit the recalcitrant animal.
🐎 🇩🇪 Largely at the head of the modern pentathlon, Annika Schleu is eliminated after the show jumping and the refusal to jump from her horse drawn Saint Boy.
Terrible disappointment!
# Tokyo2020 #JeuxOlympiques
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- francetvsport (@francetvsport) August 6, 2021
And definitely, these Games were a story of horses: the next day, Pénélope Leprévost lost the medal in the team competition in show jumping for the same reason, but without violence and with great sadness.
Funnier, Evan Fournier posted pictures of himself as a teenager on his faithful steed, a few minutes after having chambered France Télévisions, which had "no interest" in zapping on horseback riding during the upcoming final of the basketball players facing the United States.
The Blues came for the gold 🥇
After defeating a very good Slovenian team, they will face Team USA in the final on Saturday at 4:30 am!
And we will be there @EvanFourmizz the message has passed 😉🇫🇷🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/N7EPf46RY7
- francetvsport (@francetvsport) August 5, 2021
Laurent Tillie's cuff
Undoubtedly the technical gesture of these Olympic Games.
On a well-felt Polish attack in the quarterfinals of the volleyball tournament, Laurent Tillie is working hard to try to save the homeland.
Except that he misses, and that he is the coach of the France team and therefore obviously has no right to influence the game.
The coach of the Blues, Laurent Tillie, is united with his players and throws himself to resume a Polish smash!
The Blues are on the verge of a feat against the reigning World Champions # Tokyo2020 #Olympic
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- francetvsport (@francetvsport) August 3, 2021
And, in addition, the funniest man in French sport got hurt: “It was instinct.
I was caught up in the game like the players.
I knew we couldn't have him (the ball), so I said to myself
, come on, let's do a little show…
But hey, I ruined my elbow, my shoulder and my back.
And then I thought the referee wasn't going to see the difference between me and a player, but the ball didn't come up.
"
Tom Daley's knitting
Impossible not to evoke, in these memories of Tokyo, Tom Daley, his medals and his cardigan.
If the star diver succeeded in the Super Olympics with a gold and a bronze medal, he also stood out by knitting in the stands.
The result ?
A very pretty cardigan in the colors of the Great Britain team, which has obviously gone viral.
Oh this?
Just Olympic champ @ TomDaley1994 knitting in the stands while watching the diving.
🧶 pic.twitter.com/o17i6vsG2j
- Olympics (@Olympics) August 1, 2021
Masks on the podium
In 30, 40 or 50 years, this may be the image we will have of these Games.
That and the empty stands.
At each podium, masked medalists, even if the IOC finally softened its rules after a few days to allow the haloed athletes to remove their mask while taking a few photos for posterity.
🇫🇷 🥇 The first Olympic Marseillaise in the history of women's handball resounds in the national stadium of Yoyogi.
😍 French handball players savor this moment # Tokyo2020 # Olympic Games
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- francetvsport (@francetvsport) August 8, 2021
A historic August 7 for team sports
Five medals in one day, including 4 for co-sports: this Saturday, August 7 will be remembered as the day of glory for French handball, volleyball and basketball.
Of course, it all started at 4:30 am with the bitter money of basketball players, narrowly defeated by the United States (87-82) but medalists for the first time in 21 years.
Their female colleagues, off topic against Japan in the half, then beat Serbia to snatch bronze, a first charm since silver in 2012.
🏐🇫🇷 🥇 WHAT EMOTIONS !!
THE BLUES ARE OLYMPIC VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONS!
🥇🇫🇷
They did it, the Russians were back to 2 sets everywhere, the Blues never gave up!
Bravo Gentlemen 🤩
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- francetvsport (@francetvsport) August 7, 2021
But we will especially remember these three hours of madness, when the trance seized two teams for two feats out of time.
Destroyed by Denmark in the final in Rio, the Blues of handball brilliantly took their revenge (25-23) and gleaned a third Olympic coronation.
At the same time, the volleyball players offered their first title, improbable.
Despite three defeats in the group stage, a quarter-final won against the favorite Polish by being led all along, then an advantage of 2 sets to 0 squandered in the final, the French overcame Russia in 5 sets.
The perfect gift for Laurent Tillie, the coach, on the bench for the last time after 9 years at the head of a team that started from almost nothing.
Manaudou and Blume, the Games bring hearts together
In 10 minutes, Florent Manaudou and his Danish partner Pernille Blume both won medals in swimming.
Incredible timing for this couple specializing in speed.
In silver in the men's 50m, the Frenchman had the good fortune to stay at the edge of the pool to witness Blume's 3rd place in the ladies' race.
All punctuated by a kiss that marked these Olympics.
🏊🥰 A few minutes after the silver medal of her companion Florent Manaudou, the Danish Pernille Blume went to seek bronze among the ladies: a great moment of emotion!
# Tokyo2020 #Olympic
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- francetvsport (@francetvsport) August 1, 2021
The 400m hurdles world record
45′'94.
At the sight of this time, the few spectators (especially athletes, coaches and journalists) remained frozen.
The 46 second mark has fallen, and the author of this feat is Karsten Warholm.
After erasing Kevin Young's historic record (46''78) dating from 1992, on July 1 in Oslo (46''70), the Norwegian therefore improved his own time by more than 7 tenths.
A hole.
The highlight of the day: the 400m hurdle where Karsten Warholm @kwarholm broke a world record in 45 seconds 94 !!
😱💪🏆 pic.twitter.com/o5zv84KvbU
- francetvsport (@francetvsport) August 3, 2021
Second, the American Rai Benjamin (46′'17) also broke Warholm's old world record, and the Brazilian Alison dos Santos (46′'72), third, was only two hundredths behind. this previous mark.
An anthology race, with an overall level never seen over the distance.
Mourad Aliev's sitting
Hagard, sitting on the edge of the ring, Mourad Aliev still wonders how he could have been disqualified.
An incredible image.
The French boxer, engaged in the +91 kg on Sunday August 1, clearly dominated his quarter-final against Briton Fraser Clarke, before being punished for an alleged repetition of head shots.
The apologies of the referees after the fact will not change anything, as will the appeal launched by the French Boxing Federation and the CNOSF, rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
🇫🇷❌ Incredible image of Mourad Aliev who refuses to leave the ring.
The boxer did not accept his disqualification during his quarter-final after sending several head shots according to the referee # Tokyo2020
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- francetvsport (@francetvsport) August 1, 2021
The joy of the Australian coach
Athletes are sometimes not the happiest after a win.
The proof with swimmer trainer Ariarne Titmus.
Gold medalist in the women's 400m freestyle ahead of American legend Katie Ledecky, the Australian is just happy.
While his coach, Dean Boxall, goes completely nuts in the stands.
Thanks to his crazy celebration, based on cries, mask torn off and mistreated barrier, the technician will remain one of the stars of these Olympics.
Ask and you shall receive!
😂
Dean Boxall with Ultimate Warrior music!
Go Australia and Congrats Ariarne Titmus!
🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺 # Tokyo2020 #OlympicGames #Swimming #AUS #TokyoTogether #olympics pic.twitter.com/87j0Hcmng7
- Todd TEAM AUS 🇦🇺 (“MAMBA 4 LIFE!”) (@Cyrilicioushawk) July 26, 2021