A new lease of life after the failure of the Olympics
In a tight match, The Blues lead 14-7 after having a successful start to the second half. While they should have moved up a gear, carried by an extraordinary audience that day, at the Stade de France, they were going to collapse. Less effective tackles, less solid team cohesion. In the end, a cruel defeat in the quarter-finals of their Olympic Games, far from the much-hoped-for medal.
This failure, Anne-Cécile Ciofanithe captain of the Bleues, does not want to “forget” her, as she confided exclusively to Olympics.com in Cape Town, South Africa.
“What happened at Paris 2024, I try to put it aside, not forget it. It’s a disappointment that shouldn’t necessarily be passed on to young people. It's a good experience to share, but not to pass on, because they haven't experienced it from the inside. »
Captain and “big sister” of the France group, the 31-year-old player is a privileged witness to the renewal among the Blues. A rejuvenation symbolized by players like Climb Tounkara (20 ans), Kelly Arbey (19 ans) Perrine Fagnen (18 years old) or Alycya Christiansen (24 ans).
“The integration of young people is a pleasure. These are young girls who arrive with a crazy desire. We have a staff that allows us to take full ownership of the project and apart from experience, we are not missing much because we have the desire. »
-“The girls gave me a role of 'big sister', it's not a role that I gave to myself, but I think they gave it to all the 'elders'. I think they are counting on us to bring them this experience, this perspective that we can have. »
A role that Anne-Cécile Ciofani fulfills wonderfully, providing her advice to the young guard at the end of each match, during training and even when returning to the bus… “On the bus, we often talk about the actions that even come back a few days later… there is always a little debrief but always in a kind way in the form of questions to help in the best possible way. »
At the heart of this project, the new coach Romain Huet who took over from David Courteix, after the Olympic adventure. A positive renewal for Ciofani, “rekindling the flame which had been somewhat extinguished since Paris”.
“It was a beneficial change, the girls and the staff arrived with lots of ideas, a good dynamic. It's a new lease of life and it makes you want for the next cycle. The goal remains Los Angeles 2028 so it's a long process, but I'm sure that we will only grow in cases, regardless of the result. »
