Martin Fourcade tried to extinguish the controversy.
Missed.
President of the Paris 2024 Athletes' Commission, the former tricolor Olympic champion has indeed spoken about the disputed decision to play the preliminary phase of the basketball tournament at the Parc des Expositions.
"
We are on a site which is not only dedicated to basketball, and which respects all the criteria set by the International Federation (Fiba)
", he affirms from Méribel, in remarks relayed by
L'Équipe
, acknowledging however that "
these are probably not the standards of an NBA hall.
But that's also what we like at the Olympic Games, it's to have a horizontality between all the sports
".
A horizontality that has not really been to everyone's taste within the basketball family, the second largest collective sport in the world and well remembered the most followed and awaited, the most prestigious at the Olympics.
Many voices have been raised to denounce a lack of respect, such as those of Nicolas Batum or Vincent Poirier.
Evan Fournier also made his voice heard… And the Knicks player in the NBA gave a layer of it this Friday, on social networks, after the exit of Fourcade.
“
I don't understand, is it the organization of the Winter Olympics?
“, Ironically the 29-year-old tricolor international, he who hopes to be part of the party in 2024. And to continue: “
I have the impression that you just don’t give a damn about team sports.
You give us two-bullet excuses to justify your catastrophic organization.
Stop trying to put us to sleep.
»
Basketball, handball, same fight
The bid committee had proposed that basketball be played at the Accor Arena and Arena 2 at Porte de la Chapelle.
Since then, the big orange ball has been allocated Hall 6 of the Parc des expositions to host the preliminary rounds for men and women, and Bercy for the final phase, from the quarter-finals.
The handball players and handball players will compete in the Paris Olympics… in Lille.
In fact, in Villeneuve d'Ascq to be precise, in Pierre-Mauroy.
There too, it squeaks… And Fournier is no more satisfied to imagine basketball at the Parc des expositions than handball in the North.
"
Seriously, I'm a handball player, I'm told that I'm going to live the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Lille, I'M FALLING OUT.
It's a shame
, "says the Ile-de-France basketball player,
let it go
”.
“
How many gold medals have you brought back to France?
“, he notes, denouncing a “
lack of respect
”.
The Olympic Games will take place from Friday July 26 to Sunday August 11, 2024. In joy and good humor?
