Never out of a group stage in an Olympic tournament, the French volleyball team won the gold medal in Tokyo on Saturday against Russia.
The volleyball players of the France team wrote the best page in their history on Saturday at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, giving their sport its first Olympic gold medal by dominating Russia in five sets (25-23 25- 17 21-25 21-25 15-12).
The volleyball gold medal is the ninth poured into the safe deposit box of the French delegation in Tokyo, the 32nd in all, all metal combined. After the gold of the handball players, the silver of the basketball players and the bronze of the basketball players, it also confirms the brilliant form of French co-indoor sports while the handball players will in turn chase a gold medal against Russia on Sunday.
As in the group stage, on July 31, the Blues cracked the ROC, the acronym of the Russian Olympic Committee which serves as a neutral flag for Russian athletes attending the Tokyo Games. Things are however badly embarked in the first set, the Russians stand out 22-18. But an attack announced bitten and two aces of Antoine Brisard reverse everything. A pair of attacks from Earvin Ngapeth, master of the block-out where the attacker will seek the hands of the opposing counter to get the ball out of the limits, and a furious smash from Trévor Clévenot complete the case (25-23) .
Angry attacks from Jean Patry, Earvin Ngapeth, the brilliant Jenia Grebennikov who multiplies in defense: the Blues quickly take off in the second set. At 23-17, a violent attack from Patry confirmed after a challenge requested by coach Laurent Tillie offers the Habs seven set points. The first is enough for them (25-17 in 27 minutes).
In the third set, a defense-attack combo from Maxim Mikhaylov allows the Russians to go ahead (16-15). But the blue defense holds the shock and Jean Patry continues his festival. At 19-19, Ngapeth seeks a new block-out but the three Russian blockers take their hands off. The ball shoots out of the lines. 20-19. On the next action, Ngapeth is countered. 21-19 for the Russians. Never two without three ? No, this time Ngapeth does not miss it. Yaroslav Podlesnykh’s services hurt, Tillie was wrong about a challenge, and at 24-21 for the Reds, Antoine Brizard took his risk in the service. Out. The ROC, who released the Brazilian favorite and defending champion in the semifinals after dropping the first round, remain alive.
Unbreathable
The fourth set saw the gang at Ngapeth break away then the Russians came back under the impetus of Egor Kliuka and Maxim Mikhaylov. To you, to me, the alternation is mathematical. From 8-8, the scoreboard drops to 13-14. A heavy strike from Kiuka gives the Russians a two-point lead. An authoritarian block of Nicolas Le Goff and the Blues reunite at 16-16. Relax. Come back to relax again. 23-20 for the Russians in the money-time then 24-21 and 25-21. We remember that in London, in 2012, the Russians went for gold after losing the first two sets. The Brazilians even had two match points in the set point.
The tie-break promises to be unbreathable. The Russians take off (6-3) but eat four points in a row. After an action initiated by a vicious service from “ENG”, the French arrogate to themselves a break in advance (10-8). Patry serves the lead. His ace, the 8th for the Blues since the start of the final, puts the French on a perfect trajectory (13-11) and a malice from Brizard offers two match points to the Habs. It’s finish.
Winners of the Nations League in 2015 and 2017, third last June, European champions in 2015, the French volleyball players had never managed to reach the quarter-finals of an Olympic tournament. Their entry into the competition was bumpy with a defeat against the United States then Argentina before a qualification in extremis thanks to two sets snatched from the Brazilians on the last day of the group stage. “In this tournament, we are survivors”, noted Earvin Ngapeth in the logbook which he considers to be Libé before the Homeric quarter-final against the Poles.
Throughout the adventure of French volleyball players in Tokyo, Earvin Ngapeth, the receptionist-attacker of the French volleyball team, opened his logbook to “Libé”
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