The thunderous table tennis show of Felix Lebrun is shaking Paris
France grabs the next bronze medal in table tennis. This time, the team led by Felix Lebrun, who had already won a medal in the individual event, made it exciting in two singles matches in a spectacular clash against Japan.
A massive party erupted in Arena Sud 4: France's table tennis players celebrate their second bronze medal at the Olympic Games at home. After Felix Lebrun, the 17-year-old sensation who is currently ranked fifth in the world, took third place in the individual event, the team also secured the bronze medal. The team match was a back-and-forth affair, with Lebrun ultimately prevailing 3-1 against Hiroto Shinozuka in the decisive match. There were no doubts about this victory, as Lebrun has been playing exceptionally well for months, especially at these Olympic Games.
The Japanese team must have realized the strength of their opponent when they saw the pairings for the fifth game in this battle for three wins. When Felix Lebrun converted his fourth match point, there was no holding back in this temple that had been igniting the power of a football stadium for days. He first jumped into the arms of his brother Alexis, then celebrated with Simon Gauzy. The two had laid the foundation for this success with an outstanding performance in the doubles against top players Tomokazu Harimoto and the surprising left-hander Shinozuka.
Gauzy went wild
The music from the Euro 2016 final was still fresh in everyone's memory as the DJ played "Freed from desire," and the fans screamed in ecstasy. Gauzy went wild, running around the table like a dervish and roaring with joy. What a moment. The players danced together and enjoyed these great moments of happiness. Already quite extraordinary. At just 17 years old, Felix Lebrun has now experienced a career highlight that will be hard to top emotionally. Twice bronze, twice in a stadium that was as loud as a Formula 1 race - and all at home, in front of big stars like Zinedine Zidane.
But the road to the second medal was more exciting than expected. Felix Lebrun won the first two sets, but became more erratic in the third set as the Japanese player grew stronger, especially in long rallies. Were the intense weeks in Paris finally taking their toll on the young Frenchman? Shinozuka even saved a set point and had incredible net and edge luck in the final phase of the third set. Several times the balls bounced off in such a way that Lebrun was beaten. He also had a poor start in the fourth set, with Shinozuka taking a narrow lead. But the Frenchman fought back, just as he had against the German Dimitri Ovtcharov in the individual event. He has no nerves, or very few.
Lebrun keeps it exciting
He managed to regain his composure, find his focus, and earn match points again. He needed two more chances against the fearless Japanese player. The fans were on the edge of their seats, as was the French corner. They were ready to celebrate but had to wait several times. Only the fourth opportunity was successful. A powerful forehand from Shinozuka could not be returned. Finally, the party could begin. Who will celebrate gold will be decided at 3 pm. Then, reigning Olympic champions China and Sweden will face off for the gold medal. The German team was eliminated in the quarterfinals by the Swedes with a 0:3 loss in the last match of legend Timo Boll.
Lebrun had demonstrated his nerves of steel earlier in the day. In the top duel against former Japanese prodigy Harimoto, he faced three match points in the fifth set. With an aggressive and fearless game, he countered all attacks in this thrilling high-speed duel, which had barely any long rallies. Both players went all out on the attack. Suddenly, it was 10-10. Lebrun earned his first match point. With a merciless forehand against the Japanese's serve, he sent both himself and the stadium into ecstasy. Lebrun leaped for joy, knowing how crucial this victory was. France now led 2-0 in this team event.
The next two duels went to Japan. Alexis Lebrun fought against defeat but was clearly outmatched against Tomagi. Although both are close in the world rankings - the Frenchman at 18, the Japanese at 16 - the power dynamics on the table were clear. The Asians shortened the game and had the upper hand in the next duel. This was no surprise, as Harimoto is clearly the better player than Gauzy, who fought bravely but would have needed the best day of his life to win. But then came Felix Lebrun, the prodigy. He held up under pressure: Bronze, ecstasy.
The French team celebrated their triumph in Arena Sud 4, securing another bronze medal in table tennis at the Olympic Games in Paris. Following his individual event success, Felix Lebrun played a crucial role in this victory, delivering a thrilling 3-1 win against Hiroto Shinozuka from Japan in the decisive match.
As the DJ played "Freed from desire," Gauzy went wild, embodying the excitement as he ran around the table and cheered with joy, relishing in the moment after their team's impressive comeback against Japan.
