for the sabreurs Apithy-Brunet and Balzer, a day of gold and silver – Libération

2024-07-29 21:07:10

Sign up to get free our Libélympic newsletter every morning during the Games.

French form hopes for a double-medal day on Monday, July 29. The first time, it has been written, is to be gold, won by Sara Balzer, the best saber fighter in the world. But another French woman Manon Apithy-Brunet left him in the end. As for the foil fencer Enzo Lefort, who did not keep his ambitions for a medal, he did not make it past the quarterfinals. The story of a crazy day at the Grand Palais

10 o’clock 25. Balzer entered the fight against the Tunisian Daghfous on the blue track. The audience had no time to warm up their voices as the left-hander was quick. It started with a bang then managed for a 15-9 victory. About twenty seconds later, Manon Apithy-Brunet, French number 2, won with a slightly closer score to Kazakh Sarybay (15-12). Any comments after this successful show? Balzer cut through the mixed area where the journalists were waiting for him as quickly as his saber blade pierced the Grand Palais area, without a word. We will hear no more from Apithy-Brunet.

Highlights of the day for Monday July 29

11:25. Before round 16 for two fencers, time for recovery, video analysis of the next opponent … Note that at this stage we lost, and it’s a shame because your name opens many perspectives, Canadian Pamela Brind’ Love. We think of the Lido dancers who help the Blues rugby sevens to perfect their coordination.

12 05 o’clock. Enzo Lefort, the main hope of a medal in foil, seed number 5 in the competition, took the place against the Chinese from Taipei Yi-Tung Chen (number 28). Academicism wasn’t there for Lefort but he passed (15-12). And she doesn’t talk more than her saber sisters. He didn’t even stop, he said as he went: “I will speak after my competition.” A second French fencer, Maxime Pauty, also qualified.

14 05 hours. Return of Balzer and Apithy-Brunet to music. The two women did not stop behind Erbil Turki and Korean Yu 15-5 for Balzer, 15-9 for Apithy-Brunet in the next minute. “too much too much”, singing quickly before continuing with a Marseillaise (Finally the chorus and first verse, beyond which the lyrics of the national anthem are unknown to 99.99% of the population). If things work out for the two French women, they may see each other in the end.

14 30 hours. The third woman, Cécilia Berder, took her turn on music. The Greek child Theodóra Gkountoura (7-15) beat him without an answer. Like all the other three colors that have walked the slopes of the Grand Palais, the atmosphere surprised him: “Some touches, it’s not us who put them in, it’s everyone.”

1455 hours. Back to music for Lefort and Pauty against the American Menhardt and the Italian Marine. Head to the field for the first time (15-10), which makes everyone concentrate on the second. And he really needed it against the slim Tommaso Marini, the former world champion. We don’t give much of his jacket when he is one touch away from defeat. To go from 11-14 to a 15-14 win against an opponent of this caliber was very difficult but he did it, hats off. The two Frenchmen are in the quarter-finals and could meet in the final for the first blue-blue duel since the start of the practice events. We are surprised. If so, does the sound volume double in the stands? Will the glass ceiling break? It will be a nerd, which opposed a fire during the Liberation of Paris in August 1944, and Le Corbusier’s desire to replace the building with a museum of 20th century art.

1555 hours. Quarter-finals for Sara Balzer and Manon Apithy-Brunet. The first is on the blue track, the second on the yellow. And still strange synchronicity in the guts between the two French women. At the break, they were leading (6-8 and 7-8 respectively). And then: 10-10 on blue, 10-10 on yellow, 10-11, 11-10. 12-11, 12-11. 14-11, 13-12. Touch of victory 15-11 for Balzer, and of 14-12 in the same half-second. Balzer stayed on his track while his friend cheered but his supposed winning touch was nullified by the referee, as was the next one. Sara is also an observer, Manon is also an actor. Caesar was suspicious. He won 15-13. The two French women in the finals are one, or even two guaranteed medals: bronze if both lose in the next match (they will meet for 3rd place), gold and silver if they see each other in the end.

16 hours 20. Return of Lefort and Pauty for the quarter-finals. Pauty was one touch away from repeating in the round of 16, going back from 10-14 to 14-14. But the Japanese Omura had the winning touch. At the same time, Lefort was struggling against Cheung Kannada, who put him at the end of the track. The two men fell, involuntarily, into each other’s hands (in rugby we would speak of a carotid artery stroke, which is punishable by dispossession). The French decided to play on the nerves of the spectators. A moment’s rest. Final attack from Lefort, Parry answers. It was over for the two foilists who lost by the same score.

17 hours. In front of the media, Lefort repeated the final touches of his last match. “I got to 14-12 by attacking him a bit. On the sidelines at 14-13, I tried something too daring, or in any case where it worked. I feel that there are 490 grams on the armor [de pression de la lame sur l’adversaire, ndlr] when we need 500. On the last ones. He got stuck in the middle of the song, which he never did before, when I thought he was going to back up and I could attack him. He was smart. Bravo to him. The audience gives me a lot of energy. It’s great to have Max [Faute] on the next track, to see if you manage to get out of it. Sadly it’s useless, I can’t go back on track to do things differently. My only regret is that I was one touch away from the semi-finals.

19 hours. Great promotion at the Grand Palais. From the finale forward, the fighters greet the room from the inner balcony and descend the grand staircase to the music. For this semi-final, Sara Balzer meets a legend of women’s saber: the Ukrainian Olha Kharlan. A five-time Olympic athlete but not a title winner, 61 World Cup victories (a record), he has increased in front of the national sports since the invasion of his country by Russia. Excluded and suspended by his team after refusing to shake the hand of a Russian opponent at the 2023 Worlds, he owes his presence in Paris only to the personal invitation of Thomas Bach, the IOC president, who managed to force executive officers. YOU HAVE West FranceBalzer said that Olga Kharlan’s defeat in the first round in Tokyo when she was the ultra-favourite, which she had seen from the stands, marked her: “His body was so badly damaged that his legs were paralyzed. Normally, he is a monster on music and here he is completely lost. I said to myself: “I want to play the Games individually but I don’t want to lose like that.” Balzer started his semi-final strongly against the Ukrainian and won 15-7. Olga Kharlan is 34 years old, worn by sports and political battles, and will take a break after the Olympics. He probably won’t be an Olympic champion. It will be a little bit because of Sara Balzer.

19 20 hours. It was Manon Apithy-Brunet’s turn to descend the steps of the Grand Palais. His semi-final is much less heavy with symbols than that of Balzer. On paper, the bronze medalist in Tokyo is the clear favorite against the Korean Choi Sebin, without any international reference. The Frenchwoman led the entire game, except when her opponent went back to 8-8. He won 15-12, France is sure to double in women’s sabre.

21 o’clock 05. Olga Kharlan kisses her helmet, her music, her coach. He greeted the supporters of Ukraine. He had just won 15-14 in the match for third place Korean Choi Sebin. Copper is enough for your happiness.

21 45 hours. There is no notice round in this final. Saber is the fastest automatic weapon, but the two girls are very strong. Within five seconds, four hits have already been registered. Manon Apithy-Brunet, who won two of the three duels against Sara Balzer, stood out (8-3). He does not let his opponent rest and puts his game between two shooters, the mind of the citizen is changing. The atmosphere is less hot than usual under the glass roof. Apithy-Brunet keeps a small mattress and gives three touches of the match (14-11). The referee must check the video during each attack. It was finally Manon who beat Sara (15-12). The two girls hug and the audience, until then it seems embarrassing to have to choose, can rejoice. The process is broken. All the French saber teams agreed to the song. Two shooters squirt from their hands. Summary of hugs. It is the end of a day that is important, similar for both women. But there has to be a winner.