What if he was the providential man for the Blues? Former international player in one of the best nations on the planet and successful coach among boys with Greek club championship titles then gold medals with the youth selections (junior and U 19) at the World Championships, Théodoros Lorantos arrived last March at the bedside of the French women’s team. She had then just finished in 9th place in the European Championships and was undoubtedly promised a supporting role at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
“I am very proud to be the coach of this team, I accepted the position because I like challenges,” announces the native of Athens in excellent French. My mother is Corsican, and France is my second nation of heart. I knew that there were high-level facilities and structures at Insep that you can only find in the United States. If you don’t have results here, it’s because there are gaps. »
“At first, we listened to Theodoros with our mouths open”
The first results of this change of direction materialized in an honorable 9th place at the Worlds in Japan last July, including a success at the expense of China and a narrow defeat against Australia, semi-finalist of the competition. Enough to see the future with a certain optimism, even if the Blues are not scheduled to finish on the Olympic podium unlike the handball players, world champions last month in Denmark.
“At the start, we listened to Theodoros with our mouths open, he came to instill in us this Greek discipline which he transmitted to all his teams in the past,” confides Louise Guillet, the French captain who will bow out after the Paris Olympics. We progress every day alongside him. Nobody expected us at this level at the last World Cup. We want to show that we deserve this automatic qualification for the Paris Games. The objective will be to win a medal. »
“It would be wonderful to win an Olympic medal”
“It’s super motivating to be able to benefit from a coach with such a reputation,” adds the sharp Tiziana Raspo. We are more motivated to have such a coach. We have changed the way we operate. We improve individually, collectively, and tactically. We will be able to achieve results. It would be wonderful to win an Olympic medal. If we give ourselves the means, we know that we have the capacity to achieve it. »
Louise Guillet (with the ball), the captain of the French water polo team, is aiming for a podium at the European Championships in the Netherlands and then at the Paris Olympics. Icon Sport/Hugo Pfeiffer
Before thinking about the Olympics, the Blues will start the European Championships this Friday in the Netherlands with the objective of qualifying for the Worlds next month in Qatar. We will have to finish the competition in the top eight. After facing Spain, the world’s 2nd nation, the French will face the Italians, world number 4, then Israel during the group stage. If they finish in one of the first two places, they will go directly to the quarter-finals. Otherwise, they will go through the round of 16.
“We want to qualify for the World Cup and win a medal,” say Tiziana Raspo and Louise Guillet in unison. If the latter is 37 years old, half of the French squad is 20 years old or younger.
“If you want to quickly develop a team, young people have greater development potential,” indicates Théodoros Lorantos. We work on mentality and attitude, particularly on the management of the quarter-finals. There is enormous pressure on this meeting. If you lose it, there is no medal. I don’t know how far our team can go, but we will do our best to go as high as possible. »
