The French team, which was in the 3×3 basketball final this Monday, August 5 against the Netherlands, lost 18-17. France, composed of Jules Rambaut, Franck Seguela, Timothé Vergiat and Lucas Dussoulier, still shone during these Olympics at home.
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The French 3×3 basketball players had to settle for the silver medal in Paris. They stumbled on the last step against the Netherlands, who made them fold in overtime of the final. But it must be admitted that this silver medal, no one imagined it at the beginning of the Olympic tournament.
Les Bleus outclassed the Latvian title holders in the semi-final
The dream of an Olympic title had nevertheless come a little closer when, in a completely crazy stadium, the Blues outclassed the Latvian title holders in the semi-final (21-14). All that remained was the match against the Netherlands to exult. At the end of the afternoon, in front of Dirk Nowitzki, MVP (2007) and NBA champion with the Dallas Mavericks, Lucas Dussoulier, Franck Seguela, Timothé Vergiat and Jules Rambaut had reached a completely unexpected final given their journey before the Games.
” We woke up this morning with good intentions in mind. Against the Netherlands, we will have to keep control of the match “, said Franck Seguela, just after beating Latvia under the Parisian sun and in a fervor worthy of a World Cup final in football. For Timothé Vergiat, being present at Paris 2024 was very difficult. ” What could be better than playing your best basketball when it counts? ” he will say.
Recover well before this final
Jules Rambaut was thinking about recovering well before this dream final for the French team. The day before, the French had beaten Serbia, world number one, which they had never tamed in the admittedly still short history of 3×3 basketball, an event that appeared on the program of the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021.
The crowd at Place de la Concorde was an exceptional support throughout the French team’s journey. However, the French team had come a long way, having secured its ticket to Paris 2024 by a narrow margin, thanks to a one-point victory (21-20) against Mongolia in the semi-final of the Olympic qualifying tournament at the end of May.
This silver medal still gives some comfort to French 3×3 basketball, after the elimination of the Bleues. The 2022 world champions and 2023 world vice-champions, contenders for the Olympic podium at home, did not get past the group stage on Saturday.
Just before the meeting of the Blues, the Germans won the second Olympic final in history against the Spanish (17-16). They follow the United States who had to console themselves with the bronze.