Perfs of the day
Fencing. By beating the Russians, the foilists bring a fifth gold medal to the French delegation in Japan. A victory that the French foil team had not known since the Sydney Games in 2000. With five medals in the end, French fencing continues its recovery, it which had hit rock bottom in London in 2012 with a dotted zero. In Rio, in 2016, the counter stopped at three medals, only one in gold. Read the story of the final from our special correspondent in Tokyo.
Swimming. Returning to swimming after a two-and-a-half-year hiatus, he arrived in Tokyo with pleasure as his watchword. Florent Manaudou was awarded this Sunday a prestigious silver medal in the 50 meters, behind the untouchable Caeleb Dressel. After the surprise gold in London, in 2012, and the bitter silver of Rio, in 2016, the Frenchman climbs a little further in the history of swimming, becoming the first swimmer triply distinguished in the 50 meters, since the integration of the event into the Olympic program, in 1988. And, at the same time, the most awarded French individual at the Olympics, tied with his sister, Laure. At 30, he now fixes his eyes on Paris-2024. Read the story of the final from our special correspondent in Tokyo.
Athletics. The Italian sprinter Lamont Marcell Jacobs won the 100 meters final this Sunday, setting himself the European record and becoming the first European Olympic champion in the short sprint since Linford Christie, in 1992. Read the story of our specialist in athletics in Tokyo.
In a decidedly glorious evening for Italian athletics, his compatriot Gianmarco Tamberi took the gold in the high jump, which he shares with Qatari Mutaz Essa Barshim.
Volley-ball. The defeat, but a historic qualification for French volleyball players. The “Yavbou team” lost last night against Brazil 3-2 (25-22, 37-39, 25-17, 21-25, 20-18). But with these two sets won, the Blues, who had four match points in their hands, offer French volleyball a first participation in the quarterfinals of an Olympic tournament. It will be against Poland, a big piece. “We would have liked to win this match to have a more affordable quarterback, but we are not afraid of anyone and now, it’s just a bonus”, summed up the team leader Earvin Ngapeth, European champion with her in 2015.
Disappointments
Boxing. Boxer Mourad Aliev, eliminated by disqualification in the over 91 kg category this Sunday, denounced “scandal” after the tournament supervisor recognizes “An arbitration error”, according to the French clan. The President of the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF), Brigitte Henriques, announced that her body was in the process of “To put together a file to contest the decision” before the Court of Arbitration for Sport. As soon as the result was announced in the ring, Aliev had denounced an injustice, when the referee had just informed him of his disqualification for a head butt to his opponent, the British Frazer Clarke.
After the officialization of the result by the announcer, the Frenchman then made the sign “no” with his fingers in front of the cameras and remained seated for long minutes in the ring, refusing to come down. The French boxers, who had brought home six medals including two Rio titles, leave Tokyo without any reward.
BMX. Anthony Jeanjean did not hide his immense disappointment: for the entry of freestyle BMX to the Olympic Games, he was only able to take sixth place this Sunday in Tokyo, betrayed by a technical error which made him fall in his second run. The first Olympic champion in history is Australian Logan Martin. In the ladies’ category, the Briton Charlotte Worthington took the gold. Jeanjean, who had hopes for a medal, was penalized by the judges after a poor reception in his first run. He fell in his second, definitely ruining his chances of bringing French cycling the first medal of the Japanese fortnight.
Program: in Tokyo, it’s already tomorrow
Gymnastic. Five years after his serious injury in full competition at the Rio Games, Samir Aït-Saïd has not given up on his dream of an Olympic medal. The gymnast wants to leave Tokyo with gold on the rings, his specialty. The flag bearer of the French delegation, with judoka Clarisse Agbégnénou, has an appointment on Monday from 5 p.m. (10 a.m., French time).
Pistol shooting. French duettists Clément Bessaguet and Jean Quiquampoix, Olympic vice-champion in Rio in 2016, lead the 25-meter rapid-fire pistol qualifications. The second part of the qualifications is scheduled for Monday morning at 8:30 am (1:30 am French time). The first six will qualify for the final scheduled at 2:30 p.m. (7:30 a.m.).
The sides
Asylum. It is a case which turns badly before even the beginning of the test. Belarusian athlete Krystsina Tsimanouskaya was scheduled to compete in the women’s 200-meter event on Monday. But his team of coaches asked him this Sunday to pack his bags to return to his country before taking him to the airport. “They are trying to get me out of the country without my permission”, she said in a video posted to the Telegram messaging app. A situation that takes a geopolitical turn. According to the BBC, Tsimanouskaya told the European Radio for Belarus radio station that she was afraid to return to her country. The IOC has requested explanations from the Olympic delegation in Minsk.
Drama. A horse from the Swiss team engaged in the eventing at the Tokyo Games had to be euthanized on Sunday after being injured in the cross-country event, the Swiss Olympic Committee announced. Jet Set severely tore a ligament in his front right leg when landing from a jump. The rider Robin Godel is safe and sound but the accident emphasizes the danger inherent in this discipline where the French team, Olympic team champion in Rio in 2016, temporarily occupies third place before show jumping. , Monday (10 a.m.).
In the retro. The “Strange Games” which have been taking place since July 23 in Tokyo, whatever their outcome, will have difficulty competing with those in Saint-Louis, in 1904. Hitchhiking marathoner, gymnast with a wooden leg and trials nauseating reserved for “Wild and uncivilized tribes”. Spotlight on this little-known episode of modern Olympism.
Medal table
With the gold of the foil players and the silver of Florent Manaudou, France now has 21 medals, five in gold (the French men’s foil team and the swordsman Romain Cannone in fencing, the mixed team and Clarisse Agbegnenou in judo and the duo Matthieu Androdias-Hugo Boucheron in rowing), ten in silver (swimmer Florent Manaudou, judokas Amandine Buchard, Sarah-Léonie Cysique and Madeleine Malonga, windsurfers Charline Picon and Thomas Goyard, the French women’s team of foil and the women’s saber team in fencing, the French rugby sevens team and the rowers Laura Tarantola and Claire Bové) and six in bronze (the judokas Teddy Riner, Romane Dicko and Luka Mkheidze, the mixed team of triathlon, taekwondoist Althéa Laurin, fencer Manon Brunet). In the medal table, dominated by China, the United States and Japan, it is ranked seventh among the Olympic nations.
Chronicle “In the Olympic bubble”
In Tokyo for the Games, our special correspondent Romain Métairie tells the story of adventure within adventure. On the fifteenth day, he waits for Florent Manaudou and compares the mixed zones.
Tokyo at the time of the Games
The correspondent of Release in Japan, long skeptical of the very possibility of the Olympics taking place, still wonders.
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