Since Friday, the French table tennis team has made its mark in the Krešimir Ćosić hall in Zadar, Croatia. The Blues begin the European team championships this Sunday with a first meeting against Spain (1 p.m.). The French team presents itself as favorite with a very young group.
17 years for Flavien Coton. 19 years for Félix Lebrun. 21 years old Thibault Poret and 22 years old Alexis Lebrun. Here is the age of four of the five players on this France team. “I'm not the youngest now. It's over. It's nice, because I've always been the youngest all the time, almost since I was little. So no, it's cool”, laughs Félix, fifth in the world.
Because the youngest now is Flavien Coton, born in 2008. He is experiencing his first selection for the French senior team. “It’s going to be something quite special, especially since we have something to play for. We all get along well and we all fought to get this qualifying place and I did it. I’m very happy to be part of this team,” smiles Flavien, 49th in the world.
Like him, Thibault Poret, 21, is experiencing his first European team championships: “There were two big objectives this season with the French team: the world championships in May in Doha, where I managed to participate and there the selection for the European team championship, it was the second objective of the season. So I managed to achieve them, so a successful season for the moment.” Alexis Lebrun is the one who gets the old one. “It's true that I didn't think I'd be the second oldest in a French team when I'm only 22. But I think that here, we really have a great team, very young. I think we're really going to enjoy ourselves. It's true that we have a little bit of the impression of going with a group of friends and we want to go for the title together.” A young team certainly, but experienced.
“Here we go to daycare.”
To achieve this title, the team can count on its “dean”, the oldest and the most experienced: Simon Gauzy, 30 years old. When the selection was announced, he made fun of the situation on his social networks. “Here we go to daycare,” he wrote. “I feel very young and very comfortable with them in the team. It was really using age as a joke. I'm very happy to still be competitive to be part of the team, and on top of that, to bring what I can bring. There are two who will have their first big experiences with a real ambition to go for a title. I can't wait to be the daycare master”, smiles Simon.
Even if he is almost 10 years apart from all the players. Don't worry, the integration is optimal: “In my head, I'm still very young. I'm rarely the last one to make jokes or laugh. I have two children, but I don't know if I have the mental age to be a dad. I still feel very stupid sometimes. We don't talk about age in this case. Maybe they will tell you the opposite, but I don't think I can stand up to their stupidity.”
Oh no, they really don't say the opposite. “Simon is a little less young, but young at heart,” laughs Alexis. “He fits in really well. As soon as we go on a little outing, every time, we all go together. And that's also what makes our team strong. We're always together, we're pretty united.” And despite his slightly older age, he still fits in well,” laughs Flavien Coton, the youngest of the group.
A team with ambitions
The French team presents itself as one of the favorites along with Germany and Sweden. During the last edition, in 2023, the Blues left with a bronze medal. This year the objective is clear. “We're going there to get the title. We have a super strong, super homogeneous team, so we're going there to get the title. Afterwards, if we have a medal with hindsight, we can be a little happy. But clearly, at the moment, we will be disappointed”, analyzes Félix Lebrun.
And there is a desire to make history. 27 years since this title of European team champion has eluded France. “We are going there to try to win, very clearly, that's the objective we have. All the players will say it. I think we really have this ambition. Clearly we will want to make history and for the little anecdote, if we win, we will make the European grand slam. I'm not sure that that has already been done. Félix won the European Games in 2023, Alexis in singles and doubles with his brother, won the top 16 in Montreux. would mean that over the last two years we would have won everything in Europe in a row”, hopes Nathanaël Molin, coach of the team.
The French ping can, once again, make an impression. To do this, we will already have to go through the group stage where the Blues will play Spain and Hungary.
