Benjamin Thomas in gold, the handball players in the final, the exploit of the Wembanyama gang, Nolot in silver in kitefoil… What to remember from Thursday August 8

The French delegation has 53 medals on its counter on Thursday, while waiting for at least that of Billal Bennama in boxing in the evening.

Co sports put on a show. Like the men’s football and volleyball teams, the French handball players secured a medal thanks to their victory against Sweden in the North on Thursday 8 August, before being imitated in the wake of the basketball players against Germany. In Marseille, Lauriane Nolot had to settle for the silver medal in kitefoil.

Benjamin Thomas, a golden track cyclist

He had come to Paris to win Olympic gold, and he finished his Games with a sense of accomplishment. Crowned Olympic omnium champion, Benjamin Thomas brought home the 14th title for the French delegation at these Olympic Games. Fourth in Tokyo, where he had nevertheless won bronze in the American, he managed to overcome a fall in the points race, the final task of the omnium, to secure his victory at the velodrome in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines.

Consistent throughout the day and the four events that make up his discipline, the child of Lavaur, in the Tarn, won the first French title on the track since 2000 in Sydney.. Enough to engrave in gold letters this year 2024 in his career, he who had already won the Giro d’Italia on the road in May.

French handball players will defend their title

Olivier’s players crowned Olympic champions in Tokyo Krumbholz gave themselves the right to aim for a new gold medal at home. But it was tough against the Swedes who were determined to take revenge for all the times the Blues eliminated them in major competitions (31-28 ap). Trailing at half-time for the first time in the competition, the French women worked hard to get back into the game with six minutes left in regulation time and earn themselves an extra time.

With the support of the Villeneuve-d’Ascq stadium (North), they then managed to turn around a game that had started badly. “During extra time, the girls controlled the game well, they were calm, collected, they played well. It’s an extraordinary result, it’s nice to win matches in these conditions.”the coach rejoiced, while his goalkeepers Laura Glauser and Hatadou Sako shone. France in the final will face Norway, who beat them at this stage of the tournament at the world championship in December 2023. Enough to make us forget the disappointment of the men’s team.

Exploit of French basketball players

The French basketball team is also in the final! After a lackluster start to the tournament, Vincent Collet’s men raised their level of play in line with their quarter-final against Canada to dominate Germany in the last four. In a breathless end to the match, the French resisted the comeback of the world champions.

More withdrawn despite the atmosphere created by the public at the Arena Bercy, Victor Wembanyama let his partners put on the show, like Guerschon Yabusele and Isaïa Cordinier. Three years after the Tokyo silver, they will try to win Olympic gold on Saturday (9:30 p.m.). It will be against the United States, who had to work hard to beat Nikola Jokic’s Serbia.

Billal Bennama, happy money

He has not yet managed to find the solution against Hasanboy Dusmatov. Against the Olympic champion of Rio (in less than 49 kg) who had already beaten him a year before at the amateur world championships, Billal Bennama was again dominated in the final, this time of the Olympic Games. A defeat by unanimous decision that does not erase the fine performance of the Frenchman, notably the courageous winner of a tight quarter-final.

“I am proud to have fought for them and to bring back a beautiful silver medal. I am still satisfied with the work accomplished”wants to retain the Frenchman who has set a date for 2028 and Los Angeles, another boxing city.

Lauriane Nolot, bitter silver

Double world champion, Lauriane Nolot legitimately dreamed only of kitefoil gold, especially after finishing in the lead in the elimination phase. But, having just finished second in the first regatta, the 25-year-old from Var saw her hopes reduced to nothing due to a fall in the second round.

In the marina of Marseille, the Frenchwoman had to settle for the silver medal behind the British woman. Eleanor Aldridge, first Olympic champion in the history of this new eventThis is the second medal for French sailing after the bronze of Sarah Steyaert and Charline Picon in 49er FX. Ddisappointing for the federation, which hoped to make “better than Tokyo”, but therefore shows the same results.

Letsile Tebogo’s surprise in the 200m

Many thought Noah Lyles would be capable of an impressive 100m-200m double. In the end, the American was beaten by a stronger competitor in his favourite discipline. The gold medal went to Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, who ran a perfect race and clocked a blistering time of 19”46. He finished ahead of American Kenneth Bednarek (19”62) and the Olympic 100m champion, who came in third in 19”70.

Letsile Tebogo thus became the first Botswanan Olympic champion in history in one of the most watched events of the Olympic Games. Already qualified for the 100m final, where he finished sixth, beating the Botswana national record of 9”86.

The Lebrun brothers and Simon Gauzy did not cross the Great Wall of China

There was no miracle against the best table tennis players in the world. The French team composed of Alexis and Félix Lebrun, as well as Simon Gauzy, was no match for China in the semi-finals of the team event, Thursday at noon. The favorites, the Chinese were led by world number one, Wang Chuqin, and five-time Olympic medalist Ma Long.

The Wang Chuqin-Ma Long pair, precisely, got China off to a perfect start with a three-set victory over Alexis Lebrun and Simon Gauzy, before two new victories in singles, in two matches where the French only managed to win two sets. If the Blues will not play for gold or silver in the final, they are still in the running to grab the bronze medal. To do so, they will have to get rid of Japan, who fell to Sweden in the other semi-final (3-2), on Friday at 10 a.m.