Félix Lebrun, first non-Chinese in the world rankings – Libération

2024-02-01 11:39:22

Winner of the Goa tournament, the 17-year-old French prodigy is now sixth in the world. If he maintains this rank, his picture in the Olympic tournament will be easier.

In ping-pong, there is China and the rest of the world. Since Sunday and his victory at the tournament in Goa (India), Félix Lebrun, 17, has been number 1 in the rest of the world. Now sixth, he is preceded by five Chinese in the world rankings. His victory on Sunday in India (where China had not sent any table tennis players) is more prestigious than his first two at international level, at the Antalya tournament (in October) and at the European Games last summer. Looking ahead to the Games, world rankings are damn important. Each country is only allowed two representatives, Félix Lebrun would be seeded No. 3 if he remains in the same rank, therefore guaranteed not to meet a Chinese better ranked than him before a possible semi-final.

Questioned by the Team, his coach, Nathanaël Molin, was amazed by the prodigy: “There is nothing logical when you are sixth in the world at 17 years old… You have to measure the path and the beauty of things.” And the road that remains to be covered? “The barrier is on the first three (Fan Zhendong, Wang Chuqin and Ma Long) but I think he is at the level of Liang Jingkun (4th) and Lin Gaoyuan (5th),” continues the coach.

The other Frenchman in men’s singles at the Games could be Félix’s older brother, Alexis, 20 years old and currently 22nd in the world. Who beat his younger brother 10 days ago in the quarter-final of the European Top 16. Félix and Alexis have been imagining a Franco-fraternal Olympic final for ages. “My dream career?,” replied Félix in a recent interview. I wrote it down on a little piece of paper when I was 7 years old. Mom has the photo. I wrote ”Olympic champion, Félix, Olympic vice-champion, Alexis”. It was my biggest dream when I was little and it still remains today. That we have a very big match, that it goes into the last sets, that everyone enjoys themselves and that I finish with victory. For me, the Olympic Games are something else: they are the greatest competition for an athlete.” Return of service from Alexis: “The dream, for me too, would also be to play against Félix in the final of the Paris Olympic Games and to beat him. Winning the team event would be incredible too. Frankly, I sign both.”