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French teams win European titles ahead of home Olympic Games

12 May 2024

Essen, Germany

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The French recurve teams after winning the European Championships.

Seventeen-year-old Baptiste Addis’ last arrow of the recurve men’s team gold medal match – a nine – was enough to secure a three-set victory over Italy and put France on the top step of the podium for the second time this morning at the European Championships, after the French women also won their final.

Two teams, two finals, two wins – and two European Champion titles for the host nation of the upcoming Olympics.

“That’s what we needed just before the Olympics. This title just brings us close to the Games. Just gives us the little more spark we needed to be successful at home in Paris,” said Thomas Chirault.

The men’s team in Essen – a mixture of youth (Addis), potential (Chirault) and experience (Rio 2016 silver medallist Jean-Charles Valladont).

The young women’s line-up… a resilient force, led by Lisa Barbelin.

There’s still work to do. Caroline Lopez’s five in the fourth set isn’t the kind of critical-moment performance that will see them to the Olympic podium, but Amélie Cordeau delivered the necessary final shot to beat the Netherlands, 5-3.

“It was really a rollercoaster. We tried to start strong and then we had this little mistake,” said Barbelin. “Yeah, it was stressful, but in the end, we delivered. We did what we wanted and we did it right.”

France’s final rosters for the Games are not official.

Nicolas Bernardi and Victoria Sebastian are still training with the squad and could be subbed in. But surely, after these European titles, that would be too bold a move from Oh Seon Tek.

Then again, hiring the former Korean head coach only two years before the Olympics was also a bold move.

One that looks to be paying off.