This Sunday, August 8, was marked by the closing of the Tokyo Olympic Games. It was a mixed edition for the French team, who brought home a total of 33 medals: 10 gold, 12 silver, and 11 bronze. Among these medalists were several athletes from the Alpes Maritimes department. Here’s a look back at the performances of our 19 athletes from the region, who, whether medalists or not, gave their best in this historic competition.
Rowing
The rower Élodie Raviera-Scaramozzino, born in Nice, didn’t manage to bring home a medal with her teammate Hélène Lefebvre. They finished 4th in the semi-final and qualified for the B final, where they finished 2nd without a medal.
Basketball
In basketball, two players from Cannes shone with the French team, each bringing back a medal. First, Sandrine Gruda – Power Forward/Center at 1.93m and 34 years old/, one of the key elements of the French team who showcased her experience. Despite a semi-final defeat against the spirited Japanese team, the French women beat Serbia 91-76 to clinch the bronze medal.
Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot, also from Cannes and a forward, proved to be crucial for Vincent Collet’s team throughout the Olympic tournament. In the final against the United States, the French did not manage to resist the American powerhouse, losing 82-87 but still taking a wonderful silver medal.
Boxing
Mourad Aliev, the 26-year-old colossus of Russian origin, trains at the Légion Nice club; he was perhaps France’s biggest hope in Boxing at these Olympics. Competing in the super heavyweight +91 kg category, he was eliminated against Britain’s Frazer Clarke due to a controversial disqualification for a headbutt. The referees later acknowledged making a mistake, but couldn’t overturn their decision. Considering the decision as a theft, the boxer stayed in the ring for 45 minutes after the fight ended in protest. In vain…
Equestrian
Alexandre Ayache, born in Nice and trained in the Alpes Maritimes at the La Pirouette stables in Lantosque, unfortunately, did not qualify for the dressage final, finishing 9th in team qualifications and 7th individually.
Golf
The 26-year-old French golfer Romain Langasque, born in Grasse and a member of the Golf Country Club in Cannes Mougins, was present at the Olympic Golf tournament for the first time in his career. Ranked 25th after the first round, Langasque failed to recover and ended up 35th in the final standings.
Gymnastics
French gymnastics had 2 athletes from the region in its ranks during this Olympic tournament. Both members of the Olympique Antibes Juan-les-Pins Gymnastics club, the two gymnasts experienced very different Olympic adventures. Loris Frasca failed to deliver a great performance, finishing 44th in the all-around competition.
Samir Ait Said, flag bearer for the French team, had the chance to write a beautiful story. Qualified for the final with the 3rd highest score for his first Olympics (having missed London and Rio due to injuries), he dared to dream again… But misfortune followed him: he got injured in the final and ended with a bitter 4th place.
Swimming
Olympic Nice swimming had three swimmers in the French Swimming team this year: Charlotte Bonnet, Jordan Pothain, and Charles Rihoux. Unfortunately, like the rest of the French team (except for Florent Manaudou), no medals were won. Charlotte Bonnet qualified for the final but finished 8th. Pothain and Rihoux didn’t qualify individually but were part of the team final in the 4 x 100, where they finished 6th.
Modern Pentathlon
Cannes native Valentin Prades, the former world number 1 in his discipline (2016-2018), had a chance to make his mark at these Games. Alas, he finished 7th in the run and remained outside the top 10 in all other events (equestrian, fencing, and swimming).
Tennis
Azurian tennis did not see great success at these Games despite having three athletes in Tokyo. Gilles Simon was eliminated in the first round against a reachable opponent, the 82nd world-ranked Egor Gerasimov, 4-6 / 6-3 / 6-4.
Tennis players Fiona Ferro and Alizé Cornet also suffered defeats in singles. Ferro fell in the 2nd round against Sara Tormo in straight sets, while Cornet exited in the first round. The two from Nice then focused on their doubles matches together. Despite a victory over the Ukrainian pair Svitolina-Yastremska (6-2, 6-4), they logically lost to the American team Mattek-Begula in the second round (6-1 / 6-4).
Shooting
At 25 years old, Jean Quiquampoix was the strong favorite to win the Olympic title in his discipline: the 25m rapid fire shooting. A true product of the Antibes Sport Shooting Club, he won the last two competitions he participated in (the European Championships and the World Cup) and had taken silver in Rio 2016 aiming for Olympic gold. Despite a tough start in the final, he managed to concentrate fully and delivered an outstanding performance, even equaling the Olympic record with 34 successful shots out of 40.
Archery
Pierre Pilhon has been France’s number 1 in archery since 2014. Although he doesn’t train in the region but at the Archery Club of Nîmes, the 31-year-old archer was born in Nice. Pilhon competed in both individual and team events. In the team event, France was knocked out by the United States in the round of 16 after a 6-0 defeat. Pierre Pilhon took his revenge in the individual with a victory against American Jack Williams but lost to South Korean Kim Woo-jin in the round of 32.
Triple Jump
Nice athlete Rouguy Diallot, a triple jump specialist, easily qualified for the final with a single jump of 14.29 m, placing her 6th in the competition. Never medaled, the French-Guinean, trained by Teddy Tamgho (France’s triple jump record holder), unfortunately, faced stronger opponents in this final. With her best jump at 14.38 m, the athlete from the region secured 9th place; to have medaled, she would have needed a jump of over 14.87 m.
Volleyball
French volleyball is golden! And it’s thanks, in part, to the Tilie family. With Laurent Tilie at the helm, France won its first Olympic title in this sport’s history. Having played in Nice and Cannes professionally, the coach of the French team now lives in Cagnes-Sur-Mer, where his son Kevin was born. He also played for the French national team, participating in every match of the Olympic tournament, playing a crucial role in clinching this historic title.
