It was 24 years that it last happened …
Twenty-four years after its last participation, the team of France men’s water polo has managed the feat to win there ticket for the Rio Games (5-21 August) at the Olympic qualifying tournament on Friday in Trieste (Italy). The French were imposed Friday in the quarter-finals of the Olympic qualifying tournament against the Netherlands (12-11), guaranteeing themselves a place in the final four of TQO, and the precious Olympic sesame.
Water polo – TQO (H) – Bleus : Les Bleus iront… par lequipe
They were led throughout the game by the Dutch, before taking the lead two minutes from the end of the fourth quarter (8-7). Joined at 8-8, they resorted to a penalty shootout to qualify thanks to Mehdi Marzouki, the last shot author. So the Blues find the Games after 24 years of waiting. At their last appearance at the Olympics in Barcelona in 1992, they finished 11th. None of the players of the France team that shone in Italy has experienced the games.
#dreamcometrue ???????????? @Rio2016_en @lequipe21 @lequipe pic.twitter.com/ekCrhCUbPf
— Ugo Crousillat (@CrousillatUgo) April 9, 2016
Parent poor swimming, water polo clung for 2 years to prepare for this, step by step.Missing the European Championships for ten years, boys have made a comeback in 2014 in Budapest, where they finished 12th to climb to 9th place at Euro-2015.Stage 2 was oarti to meet them before the start of the Olympic tournament last week.
