The European badminton championships begin on Tuesday April 27 near Kiev (Ukraine). French number 1, Brice Leverdez wants to be ambitious, he who aims for a good performance during this competition in order to gain points for an Olympic qualification.
After London and Rio, Tokyo? Brice Leverdez is aiming for a pass of three this year. But to obtain a third consecutive Olympic ticket, the 35-year-old badiste first has an appointment in Kiev (Ukraine), from this Tuesday, for the European championships. Number 1 in France and ranked 36th in the world, the Union Sportive Créteil player is the number 6 seed in the competition. The experienced French player will therefore not play in the first round and will challenge the Russian Sirant in the second round. Faced with the 72nd player in the world, Brice Leverdez therefore has an affordable opposition.
For the Frenchman, this competition is finally an opportunity to measure himself against the best European players. Indeed, the European Championships have been postponed by one year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The event therefore now serves as a dress rehearsal in the run-up to the Tokyo Olympics… for which France will only benefit from one place in men’s singles. If Brice Leverdez is currently in the best position, he will have to beware of competition from his young compatriot Toma Junior Popov, recent winner of the Orleans Open. Brice Leverdez will therefore have to display his best level on the Kiev side in order to validate his ticket for his third consecutive Olympics.
Olivier Navarranne
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