Table tennis at the Paris 2024 Olympics: for Jean-Philippe Gatien, the Blues “have made an appointment” and “Félix Lebrun a great champion”

Admiratif de Simon Gauzy et des frères Lebrun, Gatien croit en un avenir doré pour les Bleus. MAXPPP – Alexandre MARCHI

Silver medalist in Barcelona 1992, bronze with Patrick Chilla in Sydney in 2000, Alésien Jean-Philippe Gatien has finally found his successors. A happiness that he savored after the bronze won by the French team, this Friday August 9.

How did you feel about the match ?

Damn, I was tense at the end! Still, still! Frankly, it was a great match, to go for the bronze with all the intensity that it implies, with all the drama, with all the twists and turns. There was a great level of play, an insane intensity. It was a great show, very long.

I found Simon (Gauzy) really very good, both in doubles and in his singles. I am, personally, super happy for him that he can also benefit from this exposure, from this collective reward with this medal. I think that we tend to focus a little on the “Lebrunmania”, on the brothers and rightly so, because they are just exceptional. But I think it's great that he can also stand out with this medal that rewards his work, his role in the team, the role of big brother, all the work he has done over the years.

Félix Lebrun, it's impressive, amazing, the mark of the greats

Afterwards, we once again had the example of a leader (Félix Lebrun) who is just incredible, who responds when needed, at the right moment, who still has a few shifts in concentration sometimes, or points that pass quickly with opponents who play fast and hard. But in the important moments, when you have to score the last point, he is there. It’s impressive, bluffing, it’s the mark of the great, to go and sublimate in those moments. I think we can say today, with two bronze medals around his neck at 17, that he is a great champion.

How far can Félix Lebrun go?

It’s hard to say. I think that deep down, he has no limits. Alexis, same. They were educated in ping, with this passion, they are unparalleled competitors. There are two positive things that I remember, it is indeed the present moment, where Ping emerges with two medals, but above all a positive side when we look forward to the future. These are players who still have very significant room for improvement.

This medal (for teams) symbolizes all the work of a team, a staff, etc. It’s almost unexpected. It’s full cardboard.

This is where you say to yourself, there are things to do. This secret desire that they have deep down to systematically shake up Chinese hegemony and gradually take their place in the years to come, we can believe it. We have also measured here all the distance that remains to be covered to win a point, and a team match against China. But they made an appointment, they “brought it up”. The level of play against China in the semi-final was exceptional. It was a match of investment for the future.

With this team bronze medal, and therefore two in Paris, French ping pong has also doubled its total. How does that make you feel??

It's a bit strange. But if France can double at each Olympics, I'm the first to be delighted. People told me “it's certain, we'll have a medal at the Olympics with the Lebrun brothers”. It wasn't that obvious. A medal would have been exceptional in itself. And there, not only is there one but there is also one per team which is even stronger in terms of emotion. Because it symbolizes all the work of a team, a staff, etc. It is almost unexpected. It is a full house.

And it is great. There are 4 years now to go and get Los Angeles. I think that after having experienced emotions like that, they can only project themselves positively on the next Olympiad. Even if there are many other competitions before.