Fourth in November of the last European Championship, the French women’s team is playing two preparation matches without major stakes in the coming days against the same opponent: Brazil. First meeting this Friday, April 6 in Limoges (8:30 p.m., live on beIN Sports, La Chaîne L’Équipe and HandballTV). The second is scheduled for Tuesday April 11 in Mouilleron-le-Captif (85). For this double confrontation, coach Olivier Krumbholz does not have all his strength at his disposal. He lacks a few executives like Cléopâtre Darleux or Grace Zaadi, in particular. This is an opportunity for him to carry out a vast review of the workforce. This gathering is the last of the Bleues season before the summer. A summer that promises to be particularly studious.
From July 3, the boss of Les Bleues will bring together all his little people for a real “commando summer” with the sole aim of preparing Paris 2024 as well as possible a year later. It’s already in his head even if there will be a world championship (November 29-December 17) before: “I often hear people say: the Olympics is still a long way off!, said the coach. But not for us, the staff of a collective sports team. If you look at the time we spend together with the girls, it’s not a lot. That’s why we added this internship because we want to work more than the others. »
“For everyone, the summer of rest will be in 2025”
Gathered on July 3, the Tokyo Olympic champions will leave immediately for a physical preparation course in Capbreton, in the Landes, until July 16 before a journey from July 17 to 23 in Norway in the country which, for the moment, dominates women’s handball. It is in particular to catch up with the Norwegians, at this time the big favorites of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, that this commando course is set up: “I remain convinced, continues Olivier Krumbholz, that if we do not approach the Olympic Games having the conviction that we have worked more and better than the others, it will be difficult. Of course, we want to catch up with the Norwegians, this is the most typical example. But let’s not forget that against the Danes, we are also in difficulty. We know that in Paris in 2024, we will have no room for error. We have set the objective of the gold medal and for that, we will have to be at the top of the top and reverse a balance of power with some of our opponents. »
Nothing will be left to chance: physical, tactical, the Blue will work on everything. “There are worse things than working in Capbreton, right? , notes the boss. We’re fine-tuning all the details. The girls will have their own bike and for me, it will be a very nice course to work in serenity by asking a little bit between us. »
An internship from July 3 which will end on the 23rd, this means that the girls who will be part of the adventure will have very little summer vacation in 2023. The club season will end at the beginning of June and the preparation for the following season will resume early August. “We will see who will come according to the form of each, continues the coach. The Final Four of the championship will take some of them until June 10. We will personalize everything but we will need the whole group to work. »
The first to complain about shortened family vacations risks paying dearly for the selection for Paris 2024. “The shortest vacations for some of them will last 3 weeks, insists Krumbholz. Others will have more but I think it’s worth reducing your vacation to three weeks to win the Olympics a year later. This is my view of things. To be very honest even, I think that for everyone, the summer of rest will be in 2025, not before. If the France team is resting in 2023, how can it plan to win in 2024? »