The Olympic Games for the French women’s basketball team begin on June 6. Jean-Aimé Toupane’s daughters begin their preparation and find themselves together for two long months, hoping to part ways on June 11, the day of the final.
Eighteen players initially gathered at Insep in the Bois de Vincennes. Marine Johannes’ partners must stay there until Sunday with the program, a battery of medical tests and a day of media obligations. On June 9, they will head to Anglet (Pyrénées-Atlantiques) for a first preparation course which will take them until June 19.
The final list at the beginning of July
At the end, the coach will give them a few short days to return to their families before giving them a new meeting on June 23 in Vendée at La Roche-sur-Yon. It is in the Vendéspace hall (4,000 seats), in Mouilleron-le-Captif, just next to La Roche, that the French women will put on their first and new blue jersey. They will challenge Finland twice on June 29 and July 1. After this match, the final list of 12 selected should be revealed.
Then head to Lyon on July 6 where a third match awaits them against Serbia on July 12 in the LDLC Arena. They will play as a curtain raiser for the men’s team which will also face Serbia in the evening. That day, the French team jersey and Tony Parker’s number 9 will be removed and hung from the ceiling of the room during a ceremony.
Les Bleues will finish their preparation in Reims in the Reims Arena (5,500 seats) on Friday July 19 and Sunday July 21 against Japan and China. They will arrive in Lille on July 23 to play their first match in the tournament on July 29 against Canada.
The France group
Leaders-backs: Marine Fauthoux (Asvel), Carla Leite (Tarbes), Sarah Michel-Boury (Bourges), Leila Lacan (Angers), Romane Bernies (Lattes Montpellier), Pauline Astier (Bourges), Marie Pardon (Tarbes)
Wingers: Valériane Ayayi (Prague), Marine Johannès (Asvel), Gabby Williams (Asvel), Alexia Chery (Asvel), Marie-Paule Foppossi (Tarbes), Pauline Astier (Bourges), Mamignan Touré (Lattes Montpellier)
Interior: Dominique Malonga (Tarbes), Iliana Rupert (Bologne), Marième Badiane (Lattes Montpellier), Janelle Salaün (Villeneuve-d’Ascq), Ana Tadic (Miskolc)
