Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games – Les Bleues qualified for the quarterfinals despite their defeat against the United States

It’s done: the French basketball players are qualified for the quarter-finals thanks to the point average, despite their defeat against Team USA (93-82) in the third and last match of the group stage! They should not concede more than 14 points against the American ogre so as not to have to wait for the outcome of the meeting between Australia and Puerto Rico. With 11 units of difference, the contract is thus fulfilled. The match was very open and the Blues did not miss the opportunity to jostle their opponents at certain points in the match, even if the last minutes were quite complicated.

We trembled with them until the end. At the edge of the precipice after the award-winning shot from Breanna Stewart (17 points, 7 rebounds), the French had to keep the score so as not to afford another stressful hour while waiting for the result of the Australia-Puerto Rico match. What Alix Duchet did, who did not let go during the last French possession. The French clan could then push a big sigh of relief. Because if the Blue had started the meeting foot to the ground, imposing their pace in the first quarter (22-19), they then took a burst before the break. Blame it on the more aggressive Americans, who passed 31 points in 10 minutes.

Nice performance from Gruda

But the France team could count on a well-oiled and inspired collective with six players over 10 points, including Endy Miyem (15 points) and Sandrine Gruda (12 units). The interior showed the way for her teammates against the eight-time Olympic champions to secure one of the two best third places in the group stage, after the inaugural defeat against Japan and the success against Nigeria. The qualification for the quarterfinals of the basketball players, a few hours after that of the handball players, allows the French team sport to continue its flawless performance with the exception of the men’s football team.