After the qualification in the semi-finals of two French pairs and the assurance of two medals at Doha’s table tennis Worlds, the coach of the French team and the Lebrun brothers, Nathanaël Molin, expressed his satisfaction this Friday to RMC Sport issues.
He is a happy coach. Nathanaël Molin, coach of Lebrun and the French team, place two French pairs on the podium of these world table tennis championships. It remains to be seen what the color of the medals will be. After the qualification of Félix and Alexis Lebrun, Nathanaël Molin draws an initial assessment at the microphone of RMC Sport.
Nathanaël, I imagine that you are proud of Félix and Alexis?
Yes, very proud. There are a lot of ups and downs in this competition. So obviously for Alexis, for Félix, but also for the entire delegation. I don't mean that these are the most quiet world championships in history for us. It's like that and it's part of the parameters that we will analyze cold later. But on the other hand, the last medals were in 1997. There are two maximums. We will especially see the colors now. But already two bronze medals, it's exceptional.
On this match, it was above all necessary to prepare it well because there were players really experienced opposite?
Opposite, it's just the 2021 world champions in Houston. This is the best in the world's top 4 or 5. These are customers, we know them very well, we prepared a lot against them. We also prepared this match for the Olympic Games. But ultimately it was not that pair because Falck was not qualified. We have already had data for a long time on them.
It is a pair that we know formidable and which are in our direct competitors. It is a very established pair and they have very strong preferential patterns. You really have to drive the game. It was very tactical during the match. Alex and Félix have controlled the game super well. I think that in short game, we still demonstrated a barely demonstration. They were undermined, in this part, where normally, they are very strong.
On the front match, Alex had a surplus of emotions, there we saw him very concentrated.
There have been a few moments that I would say more normal which are part of each athlete. He managed the thing very well on the whole match. It was normal, I would say, in this part.
For Félix, after yesterday's defeat, what were your words?
I think he used the group a little already. He has friends. It allowed him to switch a little bit. Today, I found it without frills, very concentrated. Nothing that moved. Very strong, very serious in the good sense of the word.
Is that also the experience you have to have?
Yes, and then you have to be able to know how to lose. It's part of the game. There is only one winner at the end. And the other 127 lost. So, it's very, very, very rare to win. You have to learn to lose. It is very important.
Thursday, Félix told us about two medals for four Montpellier. These four players know them, we imagine that it represents something?
I have a particular story with everyone, because I have trained them all. Esteban and Florian before starting again with Alexis and Félix. Esteban, I got it 7 or 8 years old. Flo, four or five years. They are 25 years old today, but these are kids that I know very well. But what I want to remember is a victory for France. The guys are happy, but I remember France's victory. It's bigger than us. That's what you have to remember.
Would Esteban and Flo, when you train them individually, could we have suspected that they would have got there?
No chance. Like many players. I think if we question Simon when he was 10 or 11 years old. What were we going to say? World top 10? It is not possible. Alexis and Félix, Olympic medal, we could not have said that either, three years ago. In fact, it is not so much the imagination that we can have, it is above all trying to go make the best possible path each, to live this adventure together to try to grow and then after, we see where it leads us. I believe that is rather the thing, it is the process which, in the end, is the trigger for beautiful things.
For Esteban and Florian, it is their character that makes them succeed in something?
Already, these are guys who want to be together, it's already fundamental. And there is a notion that is important, it is to develop the true speaking. In double, it is fundamental. That is to say that you must be able to tell your partner, frankly, you have been monstrous, or you must be able to tell your partner, there, you are on the street, my guy, you have to get back there. And without there being a notion of difficulty saying it or no impression of judgment or ulterior motive. And that's what is also strength.
Often, I was asked for the two brothers, what was the secret, that is one. I believe that for Flo and Este too, they've lived eight years together. They are almost brothers too.
