They had been fighting for three days. With this indescribable and shameful fear in their stomachs, of getting zero points at home. The medal had already slipped away from Brianna Vidé on Tuesday during the individual sabre event. This time it did not slip away from the experienced foils of the French wheelchair fencing team.
On Thursday 5 September, Maxime Valet, Ludovic Lemoine and Damien Tokatlian – with Yohan Peter as a substitute – won the bronze medal against Italy at the end of a match whose result was decided in the final relays (45-36). The dejected faces of the last few days could finally give way to radiant smiles.
“This medal is delicious”Ludovic Lemoine and his teammates enjoyed the bronze shortly after the match. For the three men, “Here at the Grand Palais, with this audience”had the value of gold. “Individually, we all had frustrations. The group was a bit tough, you have to admit. So to end up like this, against Italy, at home… This medal is very, very beautiful.”Maxime Valet agrees that, like his two comrades in arms, he will put aside sabre and foil after the Games.
The victory even brought fencing master Jean-Loup Boulanger to tears. “The Italians are stronger than us, we have never beaten them in three years of preparation. This shows that no mountain is insurmountable.”supports the national coach.
“The taste of a shared trophy”
The French armchair fencing world has its new Everest. Maxime Valet, elated, returned to the crucial moment of the match, entering the final relays. France then leads 28 touches to 30. “We knew that if we kept the Italians, at some point the public would make the difference.”
The prophecy has come true. Doctor Valet – the Toulouse native is a sports doctor when he is not on the court – quickly overcame the young Michele Massa (7-2) and passed the baton three touches ahead (35-32) to Ludovic Lemoine. Who, struggling all day, finally seemed to have found his defence (40-35) against Matteo Betti.
Team finalist Damien Tokatlian did not tremble against Emmanuele Lambertini. Five touches to one, the matter was settled. “In the team event, the justice of the peace is made in the final relays. The first six are only used to build the last three”explains the oldest member of the team (54 years old), who has always shown the way to his teammates, even in the defeat, earlier, against the British, ultimately runners-up at the Paralympic Games against China.
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