Paris 2024 Olympic Games: the French water polo team begins its preparation with a victory, before stopping off in Montpellier

Les Bleus viseront un podium aux JO, cent ans après avoir récolté la médaille d'or. A Paris, déjà… MAXPPP – Dominique Touchart

Mercredi, les Bleus ont sabordé l'Australie (13-8). Après une étape en Italie, ils retrouveront la piscine d’Antigone de Montpellier, où ils affronteront samedi 29 juin le Monténégro.

The French men's water polo team has started its preparation well for the Olympic Games where it aims at home to win its first medal in almost a century, dominating Australia 13 to 8 Wednesday in Nogent-sur-Marne.

The Blues will meet this opponent again, 11th in the last World Championships which they finished in a promising 4th place, during the group stage of the Olympic tournament, on August 1 in Saint- Denis.

The rest of their preparation, started at the beginning of May, will take them to Italy, Hérault, Serbia and Hungary.

Also read: Paris 2024 Olympic Games: France-Montenegro on June 29 in Montpellier, with Thomas Vernoux, the "Zidane of water polo"

Without their captain Ugo Crousillat or their goalkeeper Hugo Fontani, who were rested, the Blues dominated a sparring partner they had already met in training at Insep this week.

First successful outing after a month and a half without playing

But it was their “first outing since (the World Championships in) Doha”, and their “first official match in a month and a half” and the final phase of the French championship, Florian Bruzzo stressed to the coach, satisfied with the “quality of the game” and the “commitment” of its players.

Put into orbit by a tap from Emil Bjorch on a serve from Romain Marion-Vernoux, then two goals from Mehdi Marzouki, top scorer with three goals, the Blues showed that they now belonged to another category than Australians.

The room for improvement is enormous

The latter were very nervous in front of the opposing goal, failing in particular 4 times out of 5 penalties. "A little rough" after a long physical preparation in May during which they swam a lot and visited the weight room, the Blues are not yet "at the top of ( their) shape", commented Mehdi Merzouki.

Staff review

"We're off to a good start" but "the margin for improvement is enormous", estimated Thomas Vernoux, who scored two goals. Placed on the left side, while he plays up front in Marseille, the Blues star has "still some adjustments to make" on his new position, commented Florian Bruzzo, "not focused on his performance".

For the coach, this match was above all a first squad review for his final list of 13 players, among the 20 currently in training: & quot;We test the balances, we see what works".

At nightfall in the same swimming pool, the French women's team, below the best nations in the world, snatched a draw against China (13-13) after having been trailing for a long time .