Day 9 : Three new medals for France but anothe day without gold

By No author
06/08/2012

Day 9 : Three new medals for France but no gold

Another day without gold for France. But Mekhissi and Coquard’s silver medals are still a great victory, while Jonathan Lambert gave France its 25th medal in the men's finn event. The French are still in 5th place in the medal ranking but for how long?

Top of the day : Another silver medal for Mekhissi

A few minutes before Usain Bolt retained his Olympic title and smashed the Olympic record with 9.73s, French athlete Mahiedine Mekhissi captured his second consecutive silver Olympic medal in the men’s 3000m steeple event.  Four years ago in Beijing, he became the first non-Kenyan in 24 years to finish on the Podium in the first two places in the Olympic steeplechase event. And this year again he threatened the favourite, Kenya’s Kemboi, who grabbed the gold medal. The 27-year-old Frenchman celebrated his medal by hugging his friend Kemboi in one of the most heart moving scenes of the Olympics.

Flop of the day : French fencing

In the past Olympic Games, it was just impossible to see a podium without a French fencer. But these times seem to belong to the past, as France has failed to win one single fencing medal for the first time since 1960. This is all the more embarrassing given that fencing had been until now the most prolific sport for France in the Olympics with 115 medals since 1896.

Number of the day : 20.

Bryan Coquard is only 20, but he brilliantly grabbed a silver medal in the Olympic men's omnium event, a multiple race competition in track cycling. The Frenchman was leading the race after the first day, but a twelfth-place finish in the individual pursuit left him with the silver medal, while Denmard’s Lasse Norman Hansen finished with a tremendous time-trial to win the gold medal.

Monday 6th August - highlights :

Track cycling. Grégory Baugé. Individual sprint. London velodrome.