Published on : 08/08/2021 – 09:28
Vice-Olympic champions in 2016 after their defeat against Russia, the French took their revenge on Sunday, five years later, by dominating the same Russian selection in the final (30-25). Unstoppable, the Blue won everything in their path to afford the first Olympic title in their history and bring the French delegation a 33rd and last medal in these Olympics.
Saturday, the French had shown the way: beaten in the final of the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro by Denmark, they had took revenge against these same Danes in Tokyo. This Sunday, August 8, the French women’s team followed the same pattern against Russia (referred to as the Russian Olympic Committee). Five years after their defeat conceded in the final against the Russians, the players of Olivier Krumbholz washed away the affront this time with a resounding victory, synonymous with a gold medal (30-25).
Exceptional double for blue-white-red handball
If the score was tight between the Olympic champions and the defending Olympic vice-champions at the break (15-13 in favor of the Blue), the French steamroller started in the second half. With the support of goalkeeper Cléopatre Darleux, who kept the Russians less than 60% efficient, the France team took the upper hand by scoring six straight goals to bring the score to 22-16.
This highlight was fatal for Russia. She could never get up from it. Allison Pineau and Pauletta Foppa, 7 goals each, drove home the point. The first, captain of the Bleues, could not hide her emotion as the minutes passed and the inevitable coronation took shape. World champion in 2017, European champion in 2018, she finally obtained Olympic consecration.
It is therefore an exceptional double for French handball, in gold for men and women for the same edition of the Olympic Games. Only the USSR had achieved such a performance in 1976 in Montreal. And it is therefore a 33rd and final medal won by the French delegation in these Olympic Games in Tokyo: 10 in gold, 12 in silver and 10 in bronze. France finished in 8th place in the ranking of nations.
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