More medals, but less gold, French team sports remain at the top

Team sports once again brought medals to the French Olympic team, as in Tokyo, with two teams winning gold: the volleyball players and the rugby sevens players.

In Tokyo in 2021, the French team sports teams brought back six medals to the French clan. The challenge was to do better at home and the mission was successful, with seven trinkets, but only two titles instead of three in Japan three years ago. The harvest could have been even better without the disappointments experienced by the handball players or the French women’s rugby 7s team.

Satisfaction: a double in volleyball, historic medals in football and rugby 7s

They bring back two gold medals to France: the volleyball players and the French men’s rugby 7s team finished their tournament at the top of Olympus. The sevens players had launched the Olympic Games perfectly by obtaining the first gold medal for the French delegation, Saturday July 27, with a prestigious victory against the Fijians, double reigning Olympic champions. A success that came to concretize their very good season, after having won the final of the world circuit, boosted by the reinforcement of Antoine Dupont, flag bearer of the closing ceremony.

For the volleyball players, it was necessary to wait until the end of the Olympic Games, with a final on Saturday, August 10. Earvin Ngapeth’s team, which had already outclassed Italy, the reigning world champion, in the semi-finals (3-0), repeated its performance against Poland, the European champion, in the final (3-0). It achieved the double after its victory in Tokyo. A feat only achieved by the USSR (1964 and 1968) and the United States (1984 and 1988).

The footballers, for their part, hoped to succeed the 1984 Olympic champions, who had won the last French medal in an Olympic football tournament, but they failed in the final against Spain (5-3 after extra time). A great performance all the same when you consider the difficulty with which Thierry Henry built his group, wiping out the refusals of many clubs to release their players for this tournament outside the dates planned by FIFA.

As in football, the basketball players’ silver medal is a satisfaction. Facing the irresistible United States and their stars (LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry) in the final, the mission was almost impossible for the Blues. They still stood up to them and left with a silver medal, as in Tokyo. And they are not the only French basketball players to be crowned Olympic vice-champions, since those in 3×3 basketball won the same trinket, while they were not the most expected. A first medal for France in this discipline which appeared on the program in 2021.

As for the women’s team, they imitated the other two by taking silver, also in a final lost by one point against the United States, for the final match of the Olympic fortnight. Twelve years after silver, three years after bronze, the Blues remain on an international podium.

A touch of disappointment for handball and water polo players

Olympic champions and reigning world champions, the Bleues du handball team were logically aiming for gold in Villeneuve-d’Ascq (Nord), at the Pierre-Mauroy stadium. But it was almost certain that they would meet their best rivals, the Norwegians, in the final, for a top-of-the-table match between the two best teams in the world. And after two French victories at the last World Cup in December 2023, the Scandinavians were out for revenge and won quite comfortably (29-21). However, this is a third medal in a row at the Olympics, proof of the consistency of French women’s handball.

The French water polo players were not as expected, but they were hoping for a medal after their fourth place at the World Championships last February. However, they were eliminated in the group stage, failing to confirm their good performance at the last World Championships.

Men’s handball, football and women’s rugby 7s, major disappointments

European champions in January, the French handball players approached this Olympic tournament as favourites. But nothing went as planned for the reigning Olympic champions. Defeated at the start of the group stage by Denmark and Norway, then held by Egypt, they narrowly qualified for the quarter-finals. A quarter during which they led against Germany, before an equaliser at the siren and a cruel defeat in extra time. For the finalists of the last four Olympic tournaments, this early exit is a real disappointment.

The quarter-finals were also fatal for the women’s footballers and rugby 7s players. Under the leadership of Hervé Renard, the former were aiming for a first medal, especially at home, but came up against their glass ceiling, with a defeat against Brazil (1-0). Olympic vice-champions in Tokyo, the sevens players were also hoping for a medal, but they conceded a defeat in the last minutes against Canada. Cruel.