From our special correspondent in Tokyo,
They dreamed of an apotheosis but only reaped frustration and regret. Les Bleues in 3×3 basketball lost to the United States in the semi-final and then against China in a match for third place, this Wednesday in Tokyo. Contenders for the title from the top of their world number 1 status, Ana-Maria Filip, Laëtitia Guapo, Mamignan Traoré and Marie-Eve Paget were too clumsy to hope for another outcome during these two end of the match with the knife (defeats 18 -16 and 16-14).
🏀 Victory of the Chinese women’s team in Basket 3×3 for bronze
China deprives France of bronze medal with win just two points away #Olympic Games # Tokyo2020
▶ Follow the Olympics live: https://t.co/lvz3vlDDPW pic.twitter.com/GuvqvvdXTX
– France tv sport (@francetvsport) July 28, 2021
It’s a shame, because a medal would have helped this new discipline to gain an even more prominent place in the Olympic landscape – seen from France, obviously. Many have discovered during these Games this reduced version of basketball, which is played on a half court and a single quarter of 10 minutes. No time to be bored, it’s like in the playground. You don’t stop after a basket, you just have to get out of the area to be able to attack again (without necessarily making a pass). And too bad for those who do not follow.
“Happy and proud for the discipline”
So yes, it sometimes goes all over the place, with a lot of technical waste on some sequences, but that’s also what makes its charm. The crazy pace and speed of execution inevitably induce errors. Our main observation from the podium: really cool, but you don’t have to be cardiac or epileptic.
The 5×5 colleagues loved it. Evan Fournier spoke of “revelation” on Twitter, Sandrine Gruda of a “breath of fresh air”. But the reactions went beyond basketball. For their entry into the matter against the United States last Saturday, the Blue were treated to a visit from President Macron, quite admiring the intensity of the meeting. Nice recognition. “We are happy and proud for the discipline. We carry it high in our hearts, so we are happy that the format pleases ”, positive Guapo despite the disillusionment of the day.
“It’s a sport you have to see live”
“We received a lot of messages. It is a pride to have shared our sport, we will console ourselves with that, ”adds Filip, not far from tears anyway. Present in Tokyo to comment on the matches of her former teammates on France TV, Céline Dumerc was in the stands on Wednesday. Crossed between the two matches, she tells how she was convinced when it was not won.
“It’s not at all a discipline that attracted me until I came to see her live,” she said, making us understand that she was quite upset with Marie-Eve Paget (who plays with her at Basket Landes) on the subject. “What I like about basketball is the collaboration, the construction, the collective. The 3×3 requires other qualities, she continues. But this is the first time that I see them in real life, and it has nothing to do with what I saw on TV. It’s a sport that you have to see live, that’s where it really makes sense. You feel close to the players, it sends, you have a great time. I was thoroughly! “
The 2012 Olympic runner-up even sees an interest in 5×5.
It can be a complement for some athletes who lack aggressiveness or self-confidence, because this format forces you to take your responsibilities, to be independent. There is no coaching behind it, you have to manage, she observes. It also forces you not to stay on your mistakes, you don’t have time. It can be very educational. “
The question of the specialization of the players to advance the discipline will inevitably arise. But we are not there yet. “It will be a question of business. If people can make a living from it, yes there will be only 3×3 players. But for now it’s a passion, replies Dumerc. We talk about it with “MEP” (Paget), I see her in addition to 5×5 typing PMA exercises and everything to get the cash. She’s doing it because she wants it, because she has this Olympic dream, but I think she won’t be able to do this for years to come. It’s super demanding, it takes time. “
Some similarities with the 5×5 anyway …
Starting from a blank sheet in 2011, the French boys and girls teams have structured themselves. Since 2018, additional resources, financial and human, have been allocated with a view to these Games. It won’t stop there, with the prospect of Paris 2024, but it will take time. “This first edition at the Olympics was an important moment for the promotion of this new discipline. It has shown its full potential, ”said FFBB president Jean-Pierre Suitat, who promises that it will have its place in the next three years.
In the meantime, we have nevertheless noted some similarities between the 3×3 and the 5×5. Already having a Golgoth inside helps to win matches. We saw it well during the half with the American Stefanie Dolson, 1.96 m for 106 kg, twice All-Star WNBA and who made a work not possible under the basket. And then the youngest also has its controversies over refereeing, with the Blue who had the feeling of having been stolen on a ball given to the Americans at 16-16, despite the video. But they will come back, promised, with in addition a “huge thirst for revenge”, announces Laëtitia Guapo.