The French basketball players will try on Sunday, August 11, to win the Olympic gold medal against the big favorites of the tournament. That, thanks to the success they had on Friday in the semi-final against Belgium.
French basketball won a thrilling final against Belgium 81-75 (after overtime) on Friday evening, August 9, in Bercy, and are qualified for the final of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris where they will challenge the Americans on Sunday.
Sarah Michel Boury's teammates thus ensure the French women's team their third medal at the Games, after silver in London in 2012 and bronze in Tokyo in 2021. It is the second Olympic final, 12 years after the one lost by Céline Dumerc's “Braqueuses” in London . For the first time in its history, French basketball will have two Olympic finals in the same edition in two days against Team USA, the first on Saturday night for the men (9:30 p.m.), then for the women on Sunday afternoon (3:30 p.m.). .
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On Friday, the French trailed by 15 points early in the third quarter (46-31), but clawed their way back into touch with the Belgians led by winger Gabby Williams before the final ten minutes, trailing by just three points ( 51- 48). They regained control of the match eight minutes after the buzzer (52-51), thanks to a great defensive performance, completely stifling the attacking phases of the reigning European champions.
Jean-Aimé Toupane's players were up to six points ahead (59-53), before a very close finish to the match, with the two teams going blow for blow. Thanks to two free throws by Marine Fauthoux, the French regained their very slight six-point cushion (66-60) with less than a minute to go. But on a foul on Julie Vanloo punished with three successful free throws, then on a game-winning shot by Emma Meesseman, the Belgians rallied to tie the game with eight seconds left to force overtime.
The French pulled away early in the five-minute overtime period, largely thanks to Iliana Rupert's 3-pointer and a drive at the free throw line. The Blues thus get their revenge on the Euro-2023 semifinal lost to Belgium by four points (67-63).
Absent last year, Gabby Williams was the great architect of the French success in this half. In the final they will challenge the Americans, who have not lost an Olympic match since August 5, 1992, and the defeat against the CIS in the semi-final of the Barcelona Games.