A feat, but no miracle.
By inviting themselves to the final of the world championship organized in Busan, South Korea, Alexis and Félix Lebrun, accompanied by Simon Gauzy, perfect in the role of the third warrior, and a tandem of precious substitutes (Jules Rolland and Lilian Bardet). at the start of the competition, put an end to twenty-seven years of scarcity for French table tennis, which had not reached this stage of the competition since the glorious era of the French “ping” musketeers, the Jean-Philippe Gatien, Damien Eloi, Patrick Chila and Christophe Legoût.
On the other hand, to win world gold for the first time in its history, the French team did not manage to climb the last step, an insurmountable height.
But what can we do in the face of China, its ten million licensees (where France has just over 200,000), its table tennis culture, so anchored in people's minds, and, above all, its triplet of players - Fan Zhendong, Wang Chuqin, Ma Long - who simply occupies the top three places in the world?
A habit for the Middle Kingdom, which has not lost a match in the world team championship since the final of the edition… 2000, against the Sweden of the legend Jan-Ove Waldner.
Since then, the Chinese have won ten consecutive titles, and now an eleventh.
Logically.
But not without difficulty.
Read also Table tennis: immense performance by the French team and the Lebrun brothers who join China in the World Championship final
Indeed, if Félix Lebrun, perhaps overcome by legitimate stress, was unable to do anything (4-11, 8-11, 3-11) in the opening against a Wang Chuqiin stung by his semi-final complicated from the day before against South Korea (4-11, 8-11, 3-11), his brother Alexis, he will have had a match point in the fourth set against the world number 1, Fan Zhendong.
Before losing at the end of an extraordinary match of intensity, but which unfortunately did not turn out in the right direction for the Blues (11-9, 4-11, 11-8, 10-12, 7- 11).
And, behind, Simon Gauzy could do nothing against the legend of world “ping”, Ma Long, despite a thunderous start to the match (11-7, 2-11, 4-11, 6-11).
For the French, despite the apparent drought of this defeat in the final (0/3), this silver medal reinforces their ambitions of podium(s) at the next Olympic Games in Paris (July 26-August 11).
By teams, therefore, since this finalist place should guarantee them being seeded and avoiding China at least until the last four.
But also individually for Félix Lebrun who, at 17 years old, has remarkably assumed his role as leader and his status as 6th player in the world, since he won all his matches before the final.
A symbol of its regularity.
As for his older brother Alexis, even if he displayed a more sinusoidal level of performance during the competition, he demonstrated his formidable potential in the final against Fan Zhendong, at just 20 years old.
And, as good news never comes alone, the Blues managed, for their part, to climb onto the third step of the podium, a first since 1991. Led by Jianan Yuan at the top of her art at 38 years old and on the momentum of its victory during the recent European Top 16, France can rely on a youth as talented as it is promising, like Prithika Pavade who is knocking on the doors of the world top 30 (33rd) at only 19 years old or a Charlotte Lutz who is impressively bold at 18 years old.
Among both men and women, a fantastic generation has already begun to take power.
It's up to them to use the 150 days that still separate them from the Games to continue their progress and build up confidence in order to get a little closer to Chinese references.