Toulouse. The Pink City celebrated its Olympic champions
Yesterday, at the end of the afternoon, the Sports Palace welcomed 4,226 spectators. The latter ensured an atmosphere of madness to carry the Blue towards victory.
The French women’s handball team had not come to Toulouse for years. The least we can say is that the people of Toulouse were waiting for this moment.
The Tokyo Olympic champions received a rock star welcome. A guard of honor on their arrival, but above all a great evening atmosphere. Sportingly, the players of Olivier Krumbholz ensured and won 27-19 against Croatia a few days after their victory in Koprivnica (21-19). This success allows them to be assured of participating in the next Euro which will take place from November 4 to 20 in Slovenia, Macedonia and Montenegro.
The public carried the Bleues
Throughout the meeting, the Toulouse public will have played its role to the full. “Coming here, to a full hall, gives strength, more strength. I’m really happy that we ended this week with a match at home. The people of Toulouse welcomed us very well and the public was on fire throughout the match”, rejoiced Estelle Nze Minko after the party. A sold-out sports hall, white-hot, who never stopped encouraging Cléopatre Darleux and her teammates.
The blue-white-red flags have long floated in the air to support the Olympic champions, driven by the rhythm of “Ola” or other “Who does not jump is not French”. A crazy atmosphere that Océane Sercien-Ugolin, the young rear of Les Bleues, greatly appreciated: “It was the first time that I played in Toulouse. If I am asked to come back, I come back here with pleasure. The atmosphere was top, the public was at the rendezvous. They sang, danced. It made us extremely happy and it pushed us throughout the match”.
A climax to the end of the match
The second half of Les Bleues was of much better quality and the people of Toulouse noticed and appreciated it. The entrance of goalkeeper Cléopâtre Darleux, a real darling of the public, breathed new life into her team and the supporters who coached each of her eight saves.
The end of the match and the spectators caused the Croats to lose their handball, who seemed destabilized. La Marseillaise resonated very loudly at the Sports Palace. As a symbol, Cléopatre Darleux made two saves in the final minutes and twice served her winger Chloé Bouquet who lobbed the Croatian goalkeeper to conclude a perfect afternoon.