Having been soundly beaten in their very first match in their history at the Olympic Games against Serbia on Monday, the French volleyball team lost again (25-18, 25-16, 25-19) to China, Olympic champion in Rio in 2016, on Thursday 1 August. The French team, The 19th nation in the world, qualified as the host country, could never believe in the feat against a perfectly organized Chinese bloc.
China full of confidence. Although they failed to qualify for the quarter-finals in Tokyo in 2021, the Chinese women got their tournament off to a much better start in Paris by beating the Americans, the defending champions (3-2), in the shock opening day of Group A. Lacking results in recent international competitions – a sixth place in the world championship, another sixth place in the Nations League – the Chinese team set the bar high upon their arrival in the capital.
The Blues are still chasing their first set. Without illusion On the rest of the Olympic tournament, especially in such a tough group with China, but also the United States (reigning Olympic champions) and Serbia (double world champions), the French women hoped for a few minutes. In the third set, they had managed to get back to level, at 12-12. But faced with an impassable Chinese libero and a monstrous opposing block, Emile Rousseaux’s players could only note the difference in level with the 5th world nation.
The United States to try to finish in style? Already almost eliminated, Héléna Cazaute and her partners will try to take advantage one last time of the fervour of the public at the Arena Paris Sud, Sunday (1 p.m.), against the United States.