Ryley Batt, the Australian wheelchair rugby legend, “unplayable” against France – Libération

2024-08-31 07:29:29

At 35, the “Steelers” star, who enjoyed his sixth Paralympiad in Paris, showed the value of his talent against the Blues on Friday, winning 55-53.

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

The coach “Steelers” (ranked 3.5, therefore among the players with the least weakness) spent all his game under the closest guard to the Blues. Bob Vanacker, the Belgian coach of France, told us, a few days before the game: “We put strategies in place, which we tested at the Canada Cup when we faced Australia a few months ago [match perdu de 1 point, ndlr]. The idea is to put a bonus on it. The most important thing is that he doesn’t play, that he doesn’t have football at all, because he will always find solutions. If we can do that, we have won half the game., recommended coach. We appreciate the efforts, but the plan is less good than expected: France lost 53-51 against the yellow men on Friday, and will have to beat Great Britain this Saturday at 7:30 pm to call the weekend. “Batt didn’t play tonight, not even at the start,” whispered Vanacker in the mixed area after the match.

“On the pitch, I’m not very good”

Because the Australian number 3 had fangs. For his sixth (and last, he promised) Paralympiad, his team started his competition badly, losing on Thursday against Great Britain (58 to 55). And the behavior of some of his colleagues did not seem to please the leader: “It is difficult to use experience to motivate the youth. We just have to feed and keep the explosions here. It is incredible. We represent our country, during the most important event of our sport, the Paralympic Games, if that doesn’t get you beyond yourself, I don’t know what does. ” he said after defeat. The Australian did it again and again: he aimed for gold in Paris to complete a career crowned with many successes, including two Paralympic crowns, in London and Rio, and two world crowns, in 2014 and 2022.

During the game, we stand in the stands and press an Australian teammate, a jersey with the colors of his team on his shoulders: “What is the value of this Batt?” Response: “The way you hold your chair is simply amazing”. It is true that on the ground, the speed of execution of U-turns, turns, and other accelerations is impressive. “At one point, I wasn’t really good, He also told the BBB in 2020. I love talking dirty, exposing others. I may talk a lot, but the older I get, the more I behave.” Apart from attracting boos from the crowd at the Arena Champs-de-Mars by stopping on the goal line to save time – a well-established technique in wheelchair rugby – the Australian attack was clearly no lodger. has passed

“Michael Jordan of wheel rugby”

Sitting not far from us, the English fellow said “anger” to describe the player, born without legs and with finger deformities. We understand this matter when we consider the intensity that number 3, with big arms, puts in his races… And in his buffers: before half time, he sends the French 33, Sébastien Verdin, who is jump, you see yourself. thrown into the ground, both wheels in the air. Direction “prison”, leaving his three teammates until the Blues’ next attempt. On Friday, the French succeeded in part to contain the hound, whose strong upper body reminded us that he often injured his shoulder during his work. Upon arrival, you will not crash “what” 26 tries – ten less than against Great Britain – but he was able to rely on his teammate Chris Bond (27 tries) to defeat France.

“For me, he’s the Michael Jordan of wheelchair rugby. Big, smart, amazing, very fast, the French coach told us a few days ago. You know how to do everything”. Except, perhaps, standing for more than a minute in the mixed zone. At the end of the game, we go down the steps of four stands and head towards the great corridor where the players pass after the game and ask the storyteller even a question. We only have crumbs intended for our Australian colleagues. “I’m sorry.”