Tokyo Olympics ended this Sunday August 8, after sixteen days of official competition. The opportunity to address our favorites and our claws, not exhaustive, of these 2021 Olympics.
We liked
The gold medal shared between Mutaz Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi
Without doubt one of the most beautiful images of these Olympic Games. In the high jump competition, Mutaz Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi both cleared up to the bar at 2.39m. The Qatari and the Italian having failed three times to pass this bar, the regulations provide for a jump-off to decide between the two athletes, unless both decide not to jump. At this point in the competition, the judge asked them what they would like to do. Can we have two gold medals?
, asks Barshim. The judge nods and the two athletes fall into each other’s arms. The Toyko Games high jump competition therefore has two Olympic champions.
The great success of French team athletes
During the Tokyo Games, France presented a total of five teams in the Olympic handball, volleyball and basketball tournaments. Five teams and… five charms at stake. The French team sports shone like never before during this Olympiad. With a predominance of the most beautiful metal, not to spoil anything. Gold for volleyball boys, the boys and handball girls. Money for boys du basket et bronze for basketball players. An exceptional record that allows the blue clan to cross the symbolic low of 30 medals (33 in total) during these Olympics. Note also the beautiful silver medal for the girls in Rugby Sevens.
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The French handball team won the first Olympic title in its history. © AFP
Allyson Felix’s harvest of medals
At 35, Allyson Felix was once again in the news for her fifth and (arguably) last Olympics. The American sprinter added the tenth and eleventh medals of her career, making her the most medal-winning female athlete in history. In the 400m, first, the sprinter won the bronze medal. Then in the 4x400m relay, she won gold with her American teammates.
READ ALSO. The eternal Allyson Felix competes in his fifth Games in Tokyo
After these Tokyo Games, Felix’s personal collection is therefore made up of seven gold medals, three silver medals and one bronze medal. Only the Finn Paavo Nurmi, with his 12 Olympic medals between 1920 and 1928 (including 9 titles), did better.
Caeleb Dressel, worthy successor to Michael Phelps
What if Poseidon had given birth to a second son? One thing is for sure, the United States has found a new swimmer to provide them with plenty of swimming medals. Michael Phelps and his 28 Olympic medals (including 23 gold) retired, Caeleb Dressel took over in the Tokyo Olympic basin. The American won five Olympic titles in Japan, over the 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 100m butterfly, 4x100m freestyle and 4x100m medley. And at 24, Dressel should continue to stock up on medals in Paris and Los Angeles.
???? NEW WORLD RECORD FOR THE UNITED STATES! What a feat for the team led by Caeleb Dressel who won the 4x100m medley with flying colors.
?? Caeleb Dressel gleans his 5th Olympic title in these games.
Follow the Olympics live?https://t.co/FQNUDtiQca pic.twitter.com/EXhTCzUtjw
– francetvsport (@francetvsport) August 1, 2021
The emotion despite the Covid
Uncertainty hung over the staging of these Olympic Games until the very last moment. Despite a still complicated health context in Japan, against the backdrop of an increase in cases of Covid contamination, the Olympic Games did take place and the few positive cases declared within the delegations did not disrupt the smooth running of these Olympics. Despite the total closed door, announced a few days before the start of the Games, we experienced a mess of emotions during those two weeks. The now established habit of seeing empty speakers, but above all the passion for sport and this international event that are the Olympic Games have put athletes and performances back on the front of the stage. For the greatest pleasure of all.
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Despite the camera, like the opening and closing ceremonies, the Tokyo Games offered their share of emotion. © EPA / MAXPPP
We didn’t like
The forced departure of Belarusian athlete Krystsina Tsimanouskaya
The name of Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, Belarusian sprinter of her state, was not intended to end up in the headlines of the whole world. Despite herself, the 24-year-old saw the spotlight shine on the first weekend of athletics.
Threatened to be forcibly repatriated to Belarus after having criticized the sports authorities following a dispute with his staff, the 24-year-old athlete was unable to compete in the 200m series and was finally refugee at the Polish embassy, thanks to the help of the Japanese authorities and the international Olympic committee, a few hours after having almost been put by force on a plane, direction Belarus.
READ ALSO. JO. What we know about the Tsimanouskaya case, the Belarusian athlete who goes into exile in Poland
Refusing to return to her country for fear of repercussions, Krystsina Tsimanouskaya finally obtained a humanitarian visa to reach Poland.
Simone Biles’ cry of distress
The American gymnast had to win everything during these Olympic Games. But plagued by psychological suffering linked to memories that haunt her, the American star of artistic gymnastics, reigning Olympic champion and big favorite for the gold medal in Tokyo, eventually gave up. The gymnast revealing to suffer from a syndrome called the loss of face
, a psychological state that can make him lose his bearings in the air. His story and his psychological distress will have triggered a wave of support for him.
?????? American Simone Biles is back in competition! She received a long standing ovation before her passage in the balance beam final ?? With a score of 14,000, she won the bronze ??#Olympic Games
Follow the Olympics live? https://t.co/oQuEFfAwUc pic.twitter.com/3nDgZfzWFh
– francetvsport (@francetvsport) August 3, 2021
Forfeit most of the finals, she finally contested the one on the beam and won the bronze medal. Far from the four gold medals obtained in Rio. But Biles’ victory in Tokyo went way beyond the limits of sport.
The results of French swimming and athletics
These are the two disciplines olympic
par excellence. Those which punctuate, each in turn, the two weeks of the Olympic Games. Those which also count the most events, and therefore, which distribute the most medals. Not enough for the French delegation to cheerfully pick from the heap of charms. Athletics and swimming combined, France will have won only two medals thanks to the silver of Florent Manaudou in the 50m freestyle and that of Kevin Mayer in the decathlon. Only one medal for swimming, the worst record since the Sydney Games in 2000.
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As in Rio in 2016, Kevin Mayer won the silver medal in Tokyo. © REUTERS
As for athletics, the tricolor clan did not do better. Despite his back injury, Mayer therefore saved the French honor. A very meager record, far from the goal of three to five podiums set by the federation. If France wants to reach 80 medals in 2024, athletics will have to do much better than in Tokyo.
The arbitral setbacks of the Blues in boxing
Nine years after the controversy over Alexis Vastine’s defeat on points at the London Olympics, Olympic boxing still does not smile on the French. Three of them were again victims of questionable arbitration decisions during these Games. Samuel Kistohurry, Maiva Hamadouche and Sofiane Oumiha and especially Mourad Aliev left Tokyo with rage in their stomachs. The French super-heavyweight was disqualified in his fight against Briton Frazer Clarke.
READ ALSO. VIDEO. JO Boxing: eliminated, the French Mourad Aliev cries scandal and refuses to leave the ring!
A mind-blowing decision since the judges believed that the French had head butted his opponent when he had just sent him a punch. Disqualified, the French did not want to leave the ring in protest. The judges reviewed the images and admitted their mistake. But too late to reconsider their decision.
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